Harry Potter and the Really Long Book
by Philosophi Lapis
Summary: Harry and his friends are back for their sixth year at Hogwarts. And this time they know they're in a book. Complete.
1. Short Sorting

HARRY POTTER AND THE REALLY LONG BOOK

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table. A few people waved at them or called out "Have a good summer". Harry and Hermione waved back. But Ron, who was glaring at Dean Thomas holding hands with Ginny, didn't seem to notice that anyone was speaking to him.

"I wonder who the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is" said Hermione. She looked up at the staff table. A few seconds later she gave an excited shout.

"Ron! Look! It's Bill!"

Harry and Ron looked up at the staff table where Ron's oldest brother was talking to Hagrid.

"Do you know him, Ron" asked Colin Creevey, who was sitting next to Harry.

"Yeah he's my brother, Bill. My oldest brother" said Ron. He turned back to Harry and Hermione.

"But what's Bill doing here?"

"JK Rowling is saving time by putting in an already developed character instead of writing a new one" explained Hermione "Besides it gives Malfoy plenty of opportunity to insult your family"

As if on cue Draco Malfoy shouted across the Great Hall,

"Hey Weasel. Did your brother have to get a job here because your mum and dad can't afford to have all of you at home?"

"Ignore him, Ron" hissed Hermione as Ron's ears turned red. "He's not worth it. And anyway no one's reading this bit"

"They're not?" said Harry and Ron together.

"Everyone's skipping ahead to see who the Half Blood Prince is" said Hermione.

"Yeah I s'pose they would" said Harry "Any idea who it is?"

Before Ron or Hermione could answer to doors into the Great Hall opened and Professor McGonagall led the first years to the front of the hall. Each student tried on the sorting hat and sat down at the appropriate table as Professor McGonagall called his or her name.

"What's going on" said Ron "The Sorting only went for three lines. The hat didn't even sing a song"

"I don't think any of the first years are going to be important to the story" said Hermione thoughtfully. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we skipped to tomorrows lessons"

"They better not skip the feast, I'm starving" said Ron.

The feast went ahead as usual. When it was over the students went to bed.


	2. Theodore Nott

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Harry and Ron reached the Gryffindor common room the next morning just as Hermione and Ginny came down the girls staircase followed by a large group of girls, all of whom seemed to be pestering Ginny about Bill.

"He was a Seeker for Gryffindor, wasn't he?"

"That was Charlie" said Ginny

"Didn't he work in Cornelius Fudge's office last year?" asked a first year.

"No that was Percy"

"Hey, Ginny!"

Dean Thomas had just come downstairs. Ron glared at him.

"Hi, Dean" said Ginny brightly.

"Want to go and get breakfast?" asked Dean.

"Yes please"

Ginny and Dean walked out of the portrait hole holding hands. The Gryffindors around them were still asking questions about Bill.

"Let's get breakfast" said Ron "before they all start badgering me instead".

Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way out of the common room. It seemed that the girls who had been pestering Ginny had noticed that there was another Weasley in the common room because someone called out to Ron just as he, Harry and Hermione reached the end of the fat lady's corridor.

"Ron, wait a minute!"

"What?" said Ron slightly aggressively as he turned around "Oh hi, Katie"

It was Katie Bell a seventh year who played Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Hi, Katie" said Harry.

"Hi, Harry. Hi, Hermione" said Katie. "Ron, could I have a word please?"

"Alright then" said Ron. "You two go on. I'll catch up".

"Is anyone reading this bit?" asked Harry when he and Hermione had gone down one floor.

Hermione nodded.

"I imagine there's quite a few people who want to know if you'll be playing Quidditch this year" she said.

"Quidditch! Oh yeah! I'm going to go ask McGonagall if I'm allowed to play again!" said Harry excitedly.

"I'm afraid not, Potter" said Professor McGonagall when Harry reached her office and asked if he could be reinstated to the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Why not?"

"Because the muggles are already complaining that Ms Rowling is taking too long to write this book and adding detailed accounts of Gryffindor's Quidditch matches would take even more time" said Professor McGonagall.

"Can't it be called off" suggested Harry. The thought of the Quidditch tournament taking place without him in it was torture.

"Do use your common sense, Potter" said Professor McGonagall "we can't have basilisks attacking students or the Triwizard Tournament every year.

"I s'pose not" said Harry.

"You had better hurry up and have some breakfast before your classes start" said Professor McGonagall.

Harry found Ron and Hermione in the Great Hall. Ron was looking just as disgruntled as Harry felt.

"What's up with you, Ron?" asked Harry sitting down opposite him and helping himself to a piece of toast.

"Katie's kicked me off the Quidditch team" said Ron resentfully "I reckon she's had a grudge against me ever since I hit her in the face with the Quaffle last year"

"I'm not allowed to play either" said Harry "McGonagall said it would make the book too long"

But Ron wasn't listening.

"Should've hit Angelina instead" he was saying "Then she could have kicked me off the team. Then Malfoy wouldn't have sung that song, and you and –ow! What, Hermione?"

Hermione had just nudged Ron very painfully in the ribs.

"This book is going to be long enough without you recounting everything that happened last year, Ron. And we've got our timetables" said Hermione.

Harry's and Ron's moods did not improve when they saw that they had double potions first thing followed by Care of Magical Creatures.

"Great all morning with the Slytherins" muttered Ron.

"I have absolutely no desire to be teaching any of you" said Snape when they entered the dungeon.

"What about me, sir?" interrupted Malfoy "I've always been your favourite"

"Only because Ms Rowling says so" spat Snape "Now as I was saying, I don't wish to teach any of you this year. However, the headmaster now wishes that all students study potions during every year that they are here"

"Why?" asked Seamus Finnigan.

"I am not the one writing this story, Finnigan" said Snape bitterly. "If I was, I would have given myself the job teaching Defence Against The Dark Arts."

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. They knew that Snape had been applying for the Defence Against The Dark Arts job ever since he had become a teacher.

"You will be making Polyjuice potion" Snape was saying. "I am going to put you into pairs"

Harry closed his eyes and muttered under his breath "not Malfoy, not Malfoy"

Next to Harry, Ron groaned loudly. Harry opened his eyes and saw that the pairs had appeared on the blackboard. Ron was paired with Goyle.

"Oh no. I've got Longbottom" complained Malfoy.

Neville gulped.

"Hurry up, find your partners" called Snape.

Harry found his name on the board and saw that he had been paired with Theodore Nott. People were gathering up their books and searching for their partners. Most of the class was complaining, but none so much as Ron who had turned a shade of purple that Uncle Vernon could not have managed.

A weedy looking boy dropped his books onto the bench next to Harry just as Snape called out "The ingredients and method are on the board"

Harry and Nott went to the store cupboard to collect their ingredients. Harry got back to the bench first and tipped leeches and lacewing flies into the cauldron. Nott came back about a minute later with Boomslang skin and Bicorn horn.

"I'll get these ready and you can keep going with that stuff" he suggested.

"OK" said Harry.

They didn't speak to each other very much except to check ingredients.

"Reckon that's powdered enough" asked Nott showing Harry the Bicorn horn after about ten minutes.

"Yes"

Nott tipped the powdered Bicorn horn into a small jar and labelled it.

"I know we don't need it yet. But I like to have everything ready" he said "Have you done everything here?"

"Yes" said Harry. He knew it was right because he had helped make Polyjuice Potion illegally in his second year.

On the other side of the dungeon, Malfoy was criticising Neville in a loud, carrying voice so the entire class could hear. Just behind them Ron and Goyle weren't speaking at all.

"What a nightmare!" said Ron as they walked across the entrance hall an hour later.

The front doors opened and a group of first years came in. Harry clearly heard one of them say to his friends; "That's Harry Potter" and a few of them stood on tiptoe to get a better look at him.

"Why couldn't we have skipped that?" said Ron angrily when they had gone outside.

"I suppose it will be important later on" said Hermione.

"What about this? Now?" asked Harry "We're just walking across the grounds. Why would anyone read that?"

"Because people want to know who we think the Half Blood Prince is" said Hermione. "It's none of us obviously. Ron, you're Pure Blood. And I'm Muggle born. And I'm a girl. And it can't be Harry"

"Why not?" asked Ron "Harry _is_ Half Blood"

"That would be like calling the book 'Harry Potter and Harry Potter'" said Hermione "And that just sounds stupid"


	3. Research and Revelations

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

There was a Hogsmeade visit planned for the second weekend in October. Hermione thought it might be a good opportunity to learn more about the Half Blood Prince. But Harry wasn't sure if he would be allowed to go because he had been banned from Hogsmeade visits last year. So he went to see Professor McGonagall who said he was allowed to visit the village. She also let Harry have his Firebolt back even though he was no longer playing Quidditch.

Ron, however, had another reason for wanting to go to Hogsmeade. On their way to Divination one Wednesday morning Harry and Ron overheard Dean Thomas telling Seamus Finnigan that he and Ginny had made plans to spend the day together.

"We'd better follow them" Ron had said at lunch time. But Hermione put her foot down.

"Ron, did you follow Percy and Penelope around?" she asked.

Ron looked at Hermione as if she was mad.

"Why would anyone want to follow Percy around?" He asked "He's more boring than Binns"

"What about Fred and Angelina then?" said Hermione "Did you spy on them when they went to the Yule Ball"

"Course not" said Ron. "You saw the way those two dance. And...er..."

"What?" asked Hermione.

"Well Fred probably would have used my head for Bludger practice" mumbled Ron. "If him and Angelina were going out, I mean. I don't think they were, but if they were and I went near them, then...No Fred would have used my head as a Bludger anyway. What is your point, Hermione?"

"What do you think Ginny's going to do if she catches you spying on her?" asked Hermione.

"Good point" gulped Ron "Maybe I'd better take the invisibility cloak"

But the trip to Hogsmeade was uneventful. Harry and Hermione had talked Ron out of spying on Ginny. But they didn't find out anything about the Half Blood Prince either.

"What's the bet we're in the library by the next paragraph" muttered Ron.

"There has to be something in here" said Hermione impatiently as she, Harry and Ron wandered through the library.

Ron grabbed some books of the nearest shelf.

"Told you" he whispered to Harry "This is worse than looking for Flamel"

Harry agreed. When they had been trying to learn more about Nicolas Flamel in their first year, they at least knew the name of the person they were looking for. Now all they knew was they were looking for a Half Blood Prince. And they had no idea if he was dead or alive, what country he came from, what sort of book he might be in. Or, indeed, if he was in a book at all."

"I know he might not be in a book" said Hermione when Harry pointed this out. "But I can't think where else to look for him. Unless"

"What?" said Harry and Ron loudly.

Madam Pince, the librarian gave them a disapproving look.

"You don't think he might be a student" whispered Hermione excitedly.

"Could be" said Ron. "Wonder what house he's in?"

Ron and Hermione both seemed convinced that the Half Blood Prince was a student. Hermione sat down at the nearest table and pulled a roll of parchment and a quill out of her bag.

"What are you doing? Making a list of all the half blood boys in the school?" asked Ron sarcastically "Oh you are"

"Hermione?" said Harry reading the list over her shoulder "Dean's Muggle born"

"No he's half blood" said Hermione in an I know more than you sort of voice. "His father was a wizard, but he was killed by a Death Eater when Dean was a baby because he refused to join them. He never told Dean's mother what he was because he wanted to protect her."

"How do you know all that?" asked Ron.

"Well Muggles have this thing called the Internet" said Hermione. "And JK Rowling has her own website. That bit about Dean was on it."

"Did it say who the Half Blood Prince is?" asked Ron eagerly.

"If it did would we be sitting here?" said Hermione scathingly.

"Look!" hissed Harry pointing at the door.

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had just come in.

"I wonder what they're doing" whispered Hermione.

"Homework" suggested Harry.

Ron shook his head.

"I'm not sure if Goyle can read" he said "I'm going to see what section they're in."

Ron strode off in the same direction Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had gone in. He came back about a minute later looking half confused half excited.

"Where are they?" asked Harry.

"Restricted section" said Ron "Wish I knew what they're doing in there"

"Not homework. I'm betting" said Hermione. "Do you think..."

Harry held up his hand to stop her.

"Here they come" he hissed.

"Let's go back to the common room" said Hermione stuffing her list into her bag.

As Harry, Ron and Hermione walked out of the library they bumped into Nott who was coming in. Harry and Nott looked at each other for a few seconds before Nott disappeared into the library.

"D'you reckon he's meeting Malfoy?" asked Ron.

"Could be" said Harry.

He stuck his head inside the library door. Nott was sitting by himself doing what looked like Transfiguration homework. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle didn't seem to notice that he was there.

"What's Nott like Harry?" asked Ron when they reached the common room.

Harry thought for a moment. He didn't mind having Nott for his potions partner. In fact if Nott were in a different house, Harry imagined that they might get along very well. He did not say any of this to Ron, However.

"He seems OK compared to most Slytherins" said Harry thoughtfully. "I mean he's not rude like Malfoy. And he's not a thug like Montague and Warrington were. And he's very smart. "Come to think of it, I don't know why Nott wasn't made a Prefect. He seems a better choice than Malfoy"

"Maybe that had something to do with Lucius Malfoy" said Hermione.

"Nott's dad's a Death Eater too, isn't he, Harry?" asked Ron.

"Yes. He was there when Voldemort returned" said Harry.

"I wonder why he isn't in Malfoy's gang then" said Ron. "Crabbe and Goyle's dads are both death eaters.

"Nott doesn't see any need for getting into gangs" said Hermione "And if he did I don't think Malfoy would want him"

"Why not?" asked Harry.

"You said it yourself, Harry. Nott is much smarter than Malfoy" said Hermione. "He's not like Crabbe and Goyle who just do whatever Malfoy tells them."

"And Malfoy would have to treat Nott as an equal. Or maybe as someone who is better than he is?" said Harry.

Hermione nodded.

"Was that on that internet thingy?" asked Ron.

"Yes" said Hermione.

"Did it say anything else about him?" asked Ron.

"Only that he was raised by his father, who's a very elderly Death Eater" said Hermione "I'm surprised you haven't looked any of this up, Harry!"

"Dudley won't let me near his computer" said Harry

"Wait a minute!" said Ron. "What were you looking it up for?"

Hermione blushed so her face was the same colour as Ron's hair.

"I...well...er...I was...Er...I wanted um...to see if...er...you and I would ...er... get together" she mumbled.

"Why?" asked Ron.

"Because you've liked me since third year, Ron. You just haven't realised it yet.

Hagrid sent Harry a letter on Monday morning.

Dear Harry, Ron and Hermione,

Have you lot forgotten where I live? Maybe you did because the movie directors keep moving my hut. How about having a cup of tea with me this afternoon

Hagrid.

Harry wrote a reply and finished his breakfast before leaving the Great Hall for potions.

"You will be testing your Polyjuice Potion today" announced Snape. "And those of you who have done it wrong will probably be poisoned."

Several people gulped or shuddered. Snape gave the class instructions to drop one of their own hairs into his or her partner's glass of potion. When Harry dropped one of his hairs into Nott's glass, the potion turned a very dark green. The potion with Nott's hair was the same colour as the oil Uncle Vernon put in his car.

Harry drank his potion quickly. It tasted like overcooked cabbage just like it had done four years ago. However, the effects were different. When Harry had drank Polyjuice potion to transform into Goyle, every part of his body had expanded. Now it felt like an invisible force was squeezing him from all sides. He also felt himself shrinking several inches. Snape looked highly disappointed that Harry hadn't been poisoned.

"Nott, Potter, full marks" he said bitterly.

Several other people in the class had clearly got their potion wrong. Neville and Malfoy still had half of their own bodies. A few other people still had their own ears or noses. Ron and Goyle's potion was easily the worst. Neither of them looked remotely human. In fact when they turned up at the hospital wing ten minutes later accompanied by Harry, Hermione, Malfoy and Crabbe, Madam Pomfrey had to ask who they were.

"Ron Weasley and Gregory Goyle" said Hermione.

"Well they're going to be in here for a while" said Madam Pomfrey.

Ron and Goyle groaned loudly.


	4. Portkeys, Pinheads and Prophecies

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Gryffindor played Slytherin at Quidditch at the beginning of November. Harry didn't bother to go to the match because he didn't think he could stand watching from the crowd. Instead he visited Ron in the hospital wing. Ron was slowly returning to normal, and he was quite please when Harry came to see him.

"Thanks for coming, mate" he said happily "it's dead boring in here with just Goyle to talk to"

Goyle, who was in a bed at the other end of the hospital wing, was staring at the ceiling and cracking his knuckles.

"I've been doing my homework so I don't have to talk to him" said Ron.

"Hermione will be pleased" said Harry smiling slightly. Hermione had been bringing Ron his homework every night.

"Where is Hermione?" asked Ron.

"Gone to the match. She said she'll come and see you when it's over" said Harry.

"Probably a good thing I'm not on the team" said Ron. "I don't think I could play like this"

"Probably not" Harry agreed "Hey! Slytherin are a player short because of Goyle"

Ron smiled.

"It's just too bad that Goyle's not Seeker" he said.

"If Goyle was Seeker, Slytherin would probably play better without him" said Harry.

"Yeah I expect they would" said Ron. "Have a frog"

Ron threw a few chocolate frogs to Harry. They couldn't talk about too much in case Goyle overheard them, so Harry suggested a game of chess. They had hardly started playing when the door of the hospital wing burst open and Hermione, Ginny and Neville came in.

"We won!" said Ginny loudly. She was still in her Quidditch robes. Hermione and Neville were both carrying flags with the Gryffindor lion on them. A loud groaning suddenly filled the corridor outside.

"What's that?" asked Ron.

"Malfoy" said Hermione, Ginny and Neville in unison as Malfoy himself was carried into the hospital wing on a stretcher.

"I'm dying" he whined.

"Then hurry up about it, Malfoy" shouted Ron.

Harry, Ginny and Neville laughed. However, Snape, who had accompanied Malfoy to the hospital wing did not.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Weasley" he called.

Malfoy and Goyle smirked. Madam Pomfrey came out of her office to see what all the noise was about.

"Oh it's you. What is it this time, Malfoy?" she asked in a bored voice.

"The Bludgers hit me" said Malfoy quickly.

Harry couldn't help but notice that Goyle looked very guilty about this.

"Must've been awful for Malfoy, playing with only one bodyguard" said Harry sarcastically. "I s'pose Crabbe couldn't keep the Bludgers away by himself"

"That's not what really happened" whispered Neville. "Ginny knocked him off his broom. Malfoy just won't admit it"

"Nice one, Ginny!" said Ron reaching out and thumping his sister on the shoulder.

"Bill thought so too" said Ginny "he gave me twenty points for doing it"

Ron left the hospital wing a week after the Quidditch match.

"That was a nightmare" he said sitting down next to Hermione in the Great Hall.

"What was a nightmare?" asked Hermione.

"Been stuck in the hospital wing with Goyle" said Ron impatiently. "It was worse than sharing a room with Percy"

There was a few seconds of silence in which Hermione poured herself a bowl of cornflakes and Harry dished some bacon onto his plate.

"Aren't you at least going to ask me how bad it is to share a room with Percy?" asked Ron.

"What for?" asked Hermione. "First of all we don't want to know. And second it's nothing to do with the story"

"Yeah well it's..." said Ron.

But Harry and Hermione never found out what sharing a room with Percy was because the post arrived at that moment and a brown owl swooped down and dropped a letter on Ron's head. He tore the envelope open and after a few seconds a smile spread across his face.

"Mum and dad say to invite you two for Christmas. How about it?"

"That's really nice of them, Ron" said Hermione "But I promised my parents I'd spend the holidays with them this year"

"You'll come though, won't you, Harry?" said Ron.

"Course I will"

Mr Weasley met Harry, Ron and Ginny at Kings Cross on the last day of term.

"I've got a Portkey set up, not too far from here" he said leading the way out of the station.

"Why are we taking a Portkey, Dad?" asked Ginny as they dragged their trunks along (Mr Weasley had bewitched the trunks to make them lighter).

"The Ministry didn't have any cars to spare" said Mr Weasley "Here we are"

They turned down a narrow alley. Mr Weasley picked up an empty bottle which, according to the label, had once contained furniture polish. It took a moment to arrange themselves so that they could touch the bottle and hold onto their trunks at the same time. It was even harder for Harry and Ron because they had Hedwig and Pigwidgeon with them. But they managed it eventually and Harry felt himself being pulled forwards. He imagined that landing would be very uncomfortable because of the trunks. It might not have been so bad if Fred and George had not Apparated onto the exact same spot that Harry and the others landed on.

Ron fell backwards over his trunk and hit the bookshelf. Several books and a vase of flowers fell onto his head. Pigwidgeon's cage collided with the side of George's head. George staggered, knocking Harry into the fireplace (luckily for Harry the fire was not lit). Fred became pinned under Ginny's trunk and Ginny hit a chest of drawers which burst open, sending plugs flying across the room.

"What was the point of all that?" demanded Ron standing up and brushing petals out of his hair.

"Well it certainly gave me a laugh" said Mrs Weasley.

"Use your brains, Ron" said Fred "A lot of stuff happens for a laugh. Not all of it has to be an important part of the story"

"Like when Fred got hold of Percy's prefects badge and changed it to say 'Pinhead'" said George "That wasn't important"

"Yes it was" argued Fred "It let people know that Percy's a pinhead"

On Monday Mrs Weasley took Harry, Ron and Ginny to Diagon Alley to do their Christmas shopping. When they were finished Harry, Ron and Ginny went to see Fred and George in their joke shop.

Harry's mouth dropped open when he entered Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Fireworks zoomed over people's heads, shelves were stacked high, and rather untidily, with Headless Hats, Extendable Ears, Wildfire Whiz Bangs and fake wands which emitted squeaks, squawks, croaks, chirps and quacks as they turned into different rubber animals. A counter opposite the door was lined with jars of Skiving Snackboxes, Canary Creams and Ton Tongue Toffees. Fred, George and their friend Lee Jordan were running around serving customers and demonstrating their products.

"I don't suppose you could give us a hand for a few hours" said George.

"Yeah alright" said Ron.

Harry thoroughly enjoyed his afternoon working with the twins. For a few short hours he felt like a normal teenager, not 'the boy who lived' or 'the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord'. It seemed that Ron enjoyed his afternoon at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes too, because he later told Harry that "running a joke shop would be even cooler than being an Auror".

Harry privately agreed, but Ron wasn't the one who had the power to conquer Lord Voldemort. No that Prophecy was about Harry, and he knew he wasn't going to defeat Voldemort working in a joke shop.

Harry lay awake for a long time thinking about the Prophecy. He could hear Professor Trelawney's voice repeating it over and over inside his head. Did anyone else know about it besides himself and Professor Dumbledore? Had Hermione, perhaps, come across it on the internet?

"Why'd Rowling have to make it about me" thought Harry before he finally fell asleep.


	5. Christmas at the Burrow

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Harry and Ron went downstairs for breakfast on a cold Saturday morning, where they found Ginny reading a letter.

"Dean's asked me to go to a football game on Thursday" she said.

"Harry, what's football?" asked Mr Weasley excitedly.

"It's mental" said Ron before Harry could open his mouth. "No one's allowed to fly. And it's only got one ball."

Harry quickly explained how football was played.

"Fascinating!" said Mr Weasley "Is it played in many places?"

"All over the world" said Harry "There's even a World Cup, like there is with Quidditch"

"And how does that work?" asked Mr Weasley.

"Not now, Arthur" said Mrs Weasley impatiently. "Ginny, who is this boy? What's he like?"

"Well his name's Dean Thomas and he's from London" said Ginny. "He's in Gryffindor, in the same year as Ron and Harry. And his parents are muggles...".

"Muggles!" said Mr Weasley excitedly "Ginny, that's wonderful! Did you hear that, Molly?"

"I heard" said Mrs Weasley.

"So can I go?" asked Ginny.

"Yes I suppose you can" said Mrs Weasley.

Ron shook his head.

While Ginny was at the football game, Harry, Ron, Fred and George had a snowball fight in the Weasley's garden. Harry and Ron lost because Fred and George were using their wands. "I give up" said Ron turning around and walking into the house. A snowball hit the back of his head. The twins looked at Harry for a second before bewitching several snowballs to fly right at him.

Harry was woken up on Christmas morning by Ron groaning loudly, "Maroon again".

Harry opened his eyes. Ron had just unwrapped his Christmas jumper from his mother. Maroon was one of his least favourite colours.

"Have you ever told your mum you don't like it?" asked Harry.

"No" said Ron picking up another parcel. "This one's from Hermione. I bet it's a book"

Ron was right. Hermione had given him a copy of Hogwarts; A History along with a note saying he didn't have an excuse for not reading it.

"See if you got one" Ron told Harry.

Harry had. He also got his usual jumper and a box of homemade fudge from Mr and Mrs Weasley; A box stuffed full of joke merchandise from Fred and George; A box full of all his favourite sweets from Hagrid; A watch from Ron and Ginny; A pack of cards from the Dursley's and a hand knitted, pink and yellow striped hat from Dobby.

"You know Dobby's knitting is much better than Hermione's" said Ron jamming the hat onto Harry's head. "Hey Harry, you've got another present"

Ron passed Harry a cylindrical package. Harry tore off the paper and found what looked like a small telescope and a note.

Harry,

This is a Spyscope. James gave it to me when I was at school and I thought you might like it. Just say the name of any place into it and you'll be able to see what's happening there. Merry Christmas.

From

Remus Lupin.

Christmas at the Burrow was the most fun Harry had had in a long time. Mr Weasley was like an over excited toddler switching the torch Harry had given him on and off (Harry suspected the batteries would be flat by the new year). Harry had given Fred and George self grinding pestles and the twins were grinding almost anything they could get their hands on. Mrs Weasley had invited Harry's old Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin for Christmas dinner and Harry was quite pleased to see him. However, he was not pleased about the fact that Lupin looked tireder and shabbier than ever (Lupin was unable to get a job because he was a werewolf).

"How are you, Harry?" asked Lupin shaking his hand.

"Fine" said Harry "Thanks for the Spyscope, Professor..."

"Harry, I am no longer your teacher. Please call me Remus" Lupin insisted. "Oh here's Tonks"

Tonks was an Auror Harry had met last year. Harry liked her very much.

"Wotcher, Harry" she said smiling at him and handing him a large envelope.

"This is from Kingsley and me" said Tonks. Kingsley Shacklebolt was another Auror. He had been in charge of the search for Harry's Godfather, Sirius Black, whom most of the wizarding world believed to be a murderer. Sirius had been killed at the end of Harry's fifth year. Harry opened the envelope. It was full of pictures of Sirius smiling and waving at him.

"Thanks" whispered Harry justMrs Weasley called them to eat.

"Thanks for inviting me, Molly" said Tonks cheerfully when they had all squeezed themselves around the Weasley's kitchen table. "I'm not exactly welcome with my relatives"

She turned to Harry and whispered "I wonder why JK Rowling gave me the Malfoys for relatives"

"Probably the same reason she gave me the Dursleys" Harry whispered back. "Looks like you got the worse end of the deal though. I mean the Dursley's usually disappear by about the fourth chapter. And Draco Malfoy's around for almost the whole book"

"I'd like to know why she called me Nymphadora" said Tonks "Couldn't she have come up with something better?"

Harry was sure JK Rowling could have thought of a better name than Nymphadora. However, he did not say this because George had just offered him one end of a large purple cracker. Harry and George tugged at it, suddenly the table was engulfed in bright blue smoke and a loud voice bellowed "COMB YOUR HAIR!"

When the smoke had cleared Harry saw Fred and George laughing and pounding their fists on the table.

"Christmas Crack Ups!" roared Fred. "You're the first to try them, Harry"

Ron's Crack Up shouted "TUCK YOUR SHIRT IN!" Bill's said that his hair was getting far too long.

"Well it is" agreed Mrs Weasley "Bill, it's almost as long as Ginny's. And wearing that fang in your ear. What do they say about it at Hogwarts?"

"They like it" said Ginny. "I even overheard Draco Malfoy saying it was cool"

"I meant the teachers, Ginny" said Mrs Weasley sternly as Mr Weasley pulled a cracker which shouted about his fascination with muggles.

"If I hear another one of those things..." began Mrs Weasley

"You haven't heard ours yet, mum" said Fred. "Ready George?"

The twins pulled on their crackers, a voice that sounded very much like Mrs Weasley's filled the kitchen; "NOW REALLY! THERE WAS NO NEED FOR THAT!"


	6. Living and Dying

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

On their first day back after the holiday's Harry, Ron and Hermione had lunch with Hagrid in his cabin.

"I wish tha' Rowling woman had made me a better cook" said Hagrid ruefully.

"So do we" muttered Ron pulling a large feather out of his soup.

"How's Grawp, Hagrid?" asked Hermione quickly changing the subject.

"Grawpy he's alright" said Hagrid "Loads better behaved now. His English is getting better too. I'm goin' teh see him this afternoon. I'd take yeh along, but yeh've got yeh lessons. An' it's snowing.

Ron looked extremely relieved not to be going into the Forbidden Forest. Their first lesson after lunch was Defence Against The Dark Arts. Bill instructed the class to open their books at chapter 14 which was devoted to the Unforgiveable curses. Neville, who had gone very white, put up his hand.

"Yes, Neville" called Bill.

"We've already done these" said Neville in a nervous but determined voice.

The rest of the class joined in confirming that they had learnt about the Unforgivable curses with the fake Moody. Bill held up his hands for quiet.

"You've seen what the curses look like and the incantations to perform them" said Bill "But Dumbledore wants you to spend more time on learning to resist the Imperius Curse because we believe You Know Who might be using it. Now I'm not expecting any of you to be able to throw the curse off..."

"Harry can do it!" interrupted Ron.

"Can you, Harry?" asked Bill

Harry tried to look modest.

"Er yeah"

Harry offered to let Bill put the Imperius curse on him first. He threw it off easily. The rest of the class didn't do as well, although the news that Voldemort might be using it certainly encouraged them to try harder. But Neville looked as if he was putting in more effort than the rest of the class put together. By the end of the lesson he had broken into a sweat even though it was a cold day. Harry was quite pleased when Bill awarded Neville twenty points.

Harry and Ron had the rest of the afternoon off while Hermione went to her Arithmancy class. They had been planning to go down to the Quidditch pitch, but it was snowing heavily.

"Well you can try to find out who the half blood prince is" said Hermione.

"We've tried" said Ron exasperatedly to Hermione's back "How about a game of exploding snap, Harry?"

"Good idea" said Harry

Harry and Ron entered the Gryffindor common room where some third years were gathered around the noticeboard. Harry spotted Dennis Creevey among them.

"What is it, Dennis?" he asked.

"Hogsmeade. Last weekend in January" replied Dennis.

Ron sat down at the nearest table and pulled out a pack of exploding snap cards, but he wasn't concentrating on the game.

"What's up with you, Ron?" asked Harry after about ten minutes.

"Hogsmeade coming up" mumbled Ron.

"So?"

"So? I think Hermione might be expecting me to ask her to go with me" said Ron. "But usually when I go to Hogsmeade she's with me anyway. So I don't know if that counts"

"Don't ask me" said Harry shrugging.

"You know what I'd like to know!" said Ron as the cards exploded "If these books were written by a woman, why couldn't she make us understand girls?"

Ron was still debating with himself whether or not to ask Hermione to go to Hogsmeade with him late that evening.

"Just ask her" said Harry irritably, as the portrait hole opened and Hermione came in.

"Ask me what?" she asked sitting down in an empty chair next to Harry.

Ron went very red and starred at the floor. The last time Harry had seen Ron that embarrassed was when Ron announced his intentions to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Do – I – well..you. Er...I was...er...wondering if...er you...er...wanted to...er go to Hogsmeade with me?" he mumbled.

Hermione's cheeks turned slightly pink.

"Yes I'll go with you, Ron" she said.

"Thanks" mumbled Ron. "Hey Harry, we could go to..."

"Ron" interrupted Hermione "When a boy asks a girl on a date he usually doesn't bring his friends along"

"Oh right" said Ron "Sorry"

But Ron and Hermione both looked slightly guilty about the fact that they had just made plans that did not include Harry.

"Don't worry about me" he said trying to sound casual. "I can hang around with Neville or Seamus"

"How about if you and me go to Hogsmeade, Hermione? And Harry can meet us at lunchtime or something. Would that be OK?" asked Ron.

"That sounds good to me" said Hermione.

Harry's lessons were becoming harder than ever. He had to keep reminding himself that he needed to do well to get the marks he needed to become an Auror.

"_That's assuming I live long enough to take my N.E.W.T's_" he thought.

He considered asking someone whether or not he would live past the end of his seventh year. But he couldn't think of anyone who would be able to give him a definite answer. As Harry walked along the Fat Lady's corridor in a day dream, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown passed him wearing expressions that suggested they had just come from visiting Professor Trelawney's tower room.

"_Yeah I'll ask Trelawney if I'm going to die_" thought Harry sarcastically "_She won't waste any time telling me I'll snuff it_"

Then he thought of Hermione. She seemed to know a lot of things that he didn't. She even knew things that weren't in the books. Then he thought that even she probably didn't know that. No there was only one person who could tell him if he was going to live or die. Harry entered the common room and went straight up to his dormitory. Then checking to make sure Ron, Neville, Dean and Seamus weren't there, he pulled a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink and a quill out of his bag and wrote.

_Dear J.K Rowling,_

_I was wondering if you could tell me if I will live long enough to take my N.E.W.T's and become an Auror._

_Yours sincerely_

_Harry Potter._

Then he went to the owlery and gave the letter to Hedwig. He didn't tell Ron or Hermione what he had done. But when he went to bed that night the prophecy weighed heavily on his mind.

The next day Harry noticed that Ron and Neville kept sneaking glances at him during breakfast.

"What?" he asked.

Ron looked up and down the Gryffindor table.

"Let's find an empty classroom" he whispered picking up his bag and marching out of the Great Hall. Harry, Hermione and Neville followed.

"Ron, what's going on?" asked Hermione when they had found an empty classroom.

"I heard Harry talking in his sleep last night" said Ron in a low but excited voice. "He was saying something about someone having the power to get rid of You Know Who. D'you think he was making a prophecy?"

Hermione's eyes lit up. Harry considered letting them think this for a moment. Then he realised he had to tell his friends the truth.

"I wasn't" he said in a hollow voice.

"Are you sure, mate?" asked Ron.

"I'm sure" said Harry "That prophecy, it was the one from the Department of Mysteries. You know, with my name on it"

"But it smashed" said Hermione "We never found out what it said"

"I heard it" said Harry "in Dumbledore's office. He heard it when he was interviewing Trelawney for a job"

"You mean she made that prophecy?" asked Ron.

"Yeah" said Harry.

"Maybe Trelawney's not such an old fraud after all, Hermione" said Ron.

Hermione ignored him.

"Harry, what- what did the prophecy say?" she asked tentatively.

Harry took a deep breath.

"Ron, could you go and get Ginny and Luna?"

"Why?" asked Ron.

"Well they were with us when we found it" said Harry "I think they should know what was in it too."

Ron raised his eyebrows slightly, but he went to fetch Ginny and Luna.

"Go on then, Harry" he said when he came back. "What was that prophecy about?"

"It well it was made before I was born" said Harry. "And it said that the person with the power to conquer Voldemort for good would be born at the end of July..."

"Are you sure it's you, Harry?" asked Hermione "Think about it. There must be a whole bunch of people who were born at that time"

"My birthday's at the end of July" said Neville.

"There's more" said Harry. "It said that whoever it was would be born to parents who had escaped Voldemort three times"

"Your parents" whispered Hermione.

"Yes" said Harry "and yours, Neville. The prophecy could have been about either one of us. They only found out it was me when Voldemort tried to..."

"Kill you?" said Ron.

Harry nodded.

"But how can they be sure it's you, Harry?" asked Ginny.

"The next part of the prophecy said that Voldemort would er mark me as his equal" said Harry pointing to his scar. "But I'd have power that he knows not, but I'm not really sure what that is, and..." Harry broke off not sure of whether or not he was ready to tell anyone about the final part of the Prophecy.

"What?" asked Ron and Hermione.

Harry took another deep breath.

"One of us has to kill the other one"


	7. Stupid Questions

None of Harry's friends mentioned the prophecy for several days, until Harry himself bought the subject up. He was in the Gryffindor common room with Hermione, Ginny and Neville. Ron had gone to the owlery to send a letter to Fred and George. Ginny was practicing vanishing spells, Hermione was working on a rune translation, Harry and Neville were writing an essay for professor Sprout. Neville, who was very good at Herbology, had written several feet, but Harry had only written a few sentences.

"Harry, are you all right?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah I'm fine" said Harry "I was just thinking about..." he lowered his voice "about the prophecy"

Before Hermione, Ginny or Neville could say anything, Katie Bell marched over to them.

"Ginny, Quidditch practice in ten minutes!" she said sharply before striding off.

"I wish I was still playing" said Harry more to himself than anyone else.

"You can have my place" said Ginny half jokingly. "Katie's becoming a fanatic"

"I'm sure she's not that bad" said Hermione just as Katie shouted across the common room, "Ginny, hurry up!"

"She is" whispered Katie "She's worse than Angelina"

"How much worse?" asked Harry. He had often been on the receiving end of Angelina Johnson's temper last year.

"Put it this way" said Ginny quietly "Half the team reckons that Katie's had lessons from Angelina in how to be obsessed with Quidditch or something. Well I'd better get going."

Ginny ran up the girl's staircase for her broomstick. Harry didn't feel like working anymore so he decided to go for a walk around the lake, and for once Hermione didn't try to stop him.

The next morning at breakfast Hedwig dropped an envelope in front of Harry.

"Harry, what's that?" asked Ron.

"Oh that it's..." now that Rowling had replied writing to her seemed a rather stupid thing to do. "It's er. Well I wrote to J.K Rowling to ask her if I'll live long enough to finish school" said Harry.

He opened the envelope and pulled out the very same letter that he had written to Rowling with one sentence written beneath it.

_Do you really think I am going to tell you that?_

"Harry, I could have told you that J.K Rowling wouldn't have answered your question" said Hermione in a know-it-all sort of voice.

"How would you know if she'd tell him or not?" asked Ron.

"Because J.K Rowling sometimes does online chats..." began Hermione.

"What?" asked Ron

Harry and Hermione explained how online chats worked.

"And obviously Rowling isn't going to say if Harry lives or dies because that's a very big part of the plot" Hermione explained.

"Oh er yeah" said Ron "You'd better hope my dad doesn't hear about that chat room stuff, Hermione. He'd be asking the Muggles how paperclips work and stuff like that."

Harry stuffed the letter back into his pocket before stalking off to his first lesson. "_Stupid Rowling_" he thought angrily "_putting me in this stupid book and then not even telling me anything_"

Ron and Hermione left Harry alone until morning break. It was unusually sunny so he thought he'd take a stroll in the grounds by himself but Ron and Hermione caught up with him.

"Harry, I don't think you're going to die" said Hermione.

"Why not?" asked Harry without looking at her.

"Because in case you hadn't noticed, Harry, you are the main character. All the books have your name on them. And if it's you or Voldemort that has to die, it makes more sense that it's Voldemort. The books are about you, Harry, not him. And besides these are children's books. Do you think anyone in their right mind would kill the hero in a children's book?"

The last Saturday in January found Ron pacing around the boy's dormitory looking very nervous.

"Just relax, mate" said Harry "It's Hermione, not a stranger. And you're only going to Hogsmeade. Not like it's a ball or anything, and you won't have to dance with her or anything?"

"But what if she starts talking about spew?" said Ron.

"I dunno" said Harry "talk about Quidditch?"

"Then she'll start going on about how all the houses should be friends" said Ron.

"You'll find something you can both talk about" said Harry "at least Hermione won't want to talk about her dead boyfriend."

"Yeah I s'pose" said Ron half heartedly "let's go then."

Harry and Ron went downstairs to the Great Hall. Hermione was already there reading the Daily Prophet.

"Good morning" she said in a voice slightly higher than usual as Harry and Ron sat down opposite her.

Harry noticed that neither Ron nor Hermione ate or spoke much during breakfast. He finished his cornflakes and joined the long line of students waiting to have their names checked by Filch. Most of them were making plans to meet friends in The Three Broomsticks or daring each other to break into the Shrieking Shack. Harry spotted Neville and Seamus standing just behind Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls. He went and stood in line with them.

"Hi, Harry" said Neville.

"Hi, Neville. Hi Seamus" said Harry "Where's Dean?" Dean Thomas was Seamus' best friend so Harry thought it was odd that he wasn't there.

"With Ginny" said Seamus in a low voice so Pansy couldn't hear. "Where's Ron?"

"With Hermione" said Harry in an even quieter voice, remembering how Pansy had reacted when she saw him going to Hogsmeade with Cho Chang last year. Harry and Seamus turned away from each other to hide their laughter.

Harry, Neville and Seamus went to Honeydukes sweet shop where they stocked up on Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Sugar Quills, Fizzing Whizbees and Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, although Harry noticed that Neville did not take any gum. Seamus bought himself some new quills from Scrivenshafts. They went into Zonko's joke shop which was not as busy as it normally was when Hogwarts students visited the village. Harry suspected this was because of the competition the Weasley twins were providing.

"We could go and have a look at the Shrieking Shack" suggested Seamus.

"Oh OK" said Harry not really feeling like it.

"Do you reckon anyone's ever got in there?" asked Neville.

"Probably not" lied Harry "Ron told me that Fred and George tried, and if they couldn't get in, I don't think anyone could"

Harry, of course, knew perfectly well how to get into the Shrieking Shack, but he wasn't about to share this information with anyone else. Perhaps it was because he had not seen the Shrieking shack for several months but for some reason something about it did not look the same to Harry.

Harry met Ron and Hermione at The Three Broomsticks at lunchtime. They both looked much more relaxed than they did at breakfast. The pub was very busy.

"I'll get us some drinks" said Harry "You see if you can find a table"

Harry paid for three mugs of hot Butterbeer and joined Ron and Hermione at a small table in the back corner.

"Thanks mate" said Ron.

Harry, Ron and Hermione spent the afternoon swapping Chocolate Frog cards and drinking their Butterbeers before heading back to school.

"We've got a bit of time before dinner" said Hermione "I need to go to the library"

Harry and Ron decided to join her. They headed for an empty table. Ron got their first.

"Someone's left their book" he said holding up a copy of _The Standard Book of Spells; Grade One. _It had pictures of cartoon characters pasted on the cover.

"Well it has to belong to a first year" said Hermione "See if there's a name on it"

Ron opened the book.

"Yeah here" he said "Adam Prince, Hufflepuff"

"Well we can give it to him at dinner said Hermione. "I just need to look something up for Arithmancy"

Ten minutes later Harry, Ron and Hermione headed downstairs for dinner. They stopped at the Hufflepuff table.

"Excuse me" said Hermione to a first year girl "we're looking for Adam Prince, we found his book in the library"

"That's him" said the girl pointing to a tall boy with light brown hair sitting about halfway along the table"

Harry, Ron and Hermione went to give Adam his book.

"Thanks" he said taking it.

"No problem" said Harry, but Ron was looking at the cartoon characters pasted on the cover.

"These are from television, right?" he asked.

"Yeah" said Adam.

"Oh are you Muggle born then?" asked Ron.

"Half Blood" said Adam.


	8. The Half Blood Prince

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Harry, Ron and Hermione starred at Adam Prince with the same expression people often wore when they looked at Harry.

"_You mean you're the Half Blood Prince_" whispered Harry

"The what?" said Adam loudly.

"You know" said Hermione "It's the name of this book. _Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince_"

"What book?" asked Adam.

"This book that we're in right now!" said Ron impatiently "Look, there's this woman called J.K Rowling, you know who she is, right?"

"Er no" said Adam.

"How can you not know who J.K Rowling is!" shouted Ron "She made up all of this! Harry, Quidditch, Hogwarts, You Know Who! All of it!"

Ron was shouting so loudly that several people had turned around to stare at him. Professors McGonagall and Sprout swept past the Hufflepuff table.

"Weasley, five points from Gryffindor!" said Professor McGonagall.

"Now will you three sit down at your own table"

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down near the end of the Gryffindor table. Ron was in a bad mood because of Professor McGonagall taking points from Gryffindor.

"Five points from Gryffindor, because some Hufflepuff's a complete idiot" he muttered.

Ron's mood did not improve when Adam Prince got up to leave the great hall. As he passed the Slytherin table, Malfoy said in a loud carrying voice so the entire hall could hear, "Even I know who Rowling is and I refuse to have anything to do with Muggles. You must be thick"

However, all the teachers remained at the staff table.

"I get points taken off me, but Malfoy doesn't. That's not fair" said Ron darkly.

Ron got up and stalked off. Harry and Hermione followed him a few minutes later.

"Now that I think about it, it seems a bit strange that the Half Blood Prince is a student" said Hermione "Especially one that doesn't seem to understand what's going on"

"Yeah it's weird" agreed Harry. "But Rowling'll have an explanation for it, won't she?"

"Yes I expect she will" said Hermione.

Harry and Hermione found Ron in the Gryffindor common room apparently absorbed in _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. _But on closer inspection, Harry saw that Ron's eyes weren't moving.

"Ron, pretending to read doesn't work for you" said Hermione sitting down next to Ron. "Look, Adam Prince doesn't know anything about these books. Gryffindor lost points, Slytherin didn't, but there's not much we can do about any of it"

Harry sat down on Ron's other side. The common room was starting to fill up. Most people were doing homework or discussing upcoming Quidditch matches. Hermione was working on a very difficult looking essay for Professor Vector. After an hour she declared that the common room was too noisy and went up to her dormitory. As soon as she had disappeared up the girl's staircase Neville, Dean and Seamus came over to sit with Harry and Ron.

"So, Ron, how'd it go with Hermione?" asked Seamus.

"It was OK" said Ron vaguely.

"What did you do?" asked Harry.

"Just looked in the shops and stuff" said Ron.

"Did she talk about S.P.E.W?"

"Not much. I think she may have given up on it" said Ron "She found out that none of them were taking her hats, except for Dobby. Hey, d'you reckon she'll give me my two Sickles back?"

Harry shrugged. It had been over two years since Hermione had pressured him and Ron into joining the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.

"What else happened?" asked Seamus.

"Nothing" said Ron as his ears turned red. He got up and ran up the boy's staircase. Harry followed him.

"What's going on, mate?" asked Harry "What happened with you and Hermione today?"

"Well she wants to ask her parents if I can go to her house during the summer holidays" said Ron.

"What? For the whole summer?" asked Harry feeling slightly sorry for himself. His summer would be almost unbearable if he didn't get to see his best friends.

"It'll probably be for a couple of days" said Ron, and Harry relaxed. "But Harry, they're Muggles"

"So what?" said Harry shrugging. He couldn't see any reason for Ron to have a problem with Hermione's parents being Muggles.

"What if I do something wrong?" said Ron sounding half panicked "Like when I tried to use a fellytone"

"Telephone" Harry corrected him.

"See what I mean!" said Ron "I don't know how Muggle stuff really works."

"But your dad knows about that sort of stuff, doesn't he?" said Harry "I mean, he deals with it all the time at work". Mr Weasley was head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office at the Ministry.

This fact did not make Ron feel any better.

"Dad'll probably make me take notes on everything" said Ron. "If I go to Hermione's house, her parents are going to think I'm completely stupid"

"They won't" said Harry. "There must be a whole bunch of magic stuff that they don't understand either"

"What if they don't like magic?" said Ron. "Your Aunt and Uncle don't"

"If they really didn't like it, they probably wouldn't let Hermione come here, would they?" said Harry. "Anyway it's not possible for anyone to hate magic as much as the Dursley's."

"Must come as a shock for Muggles" said Ron "finding out that your kid's a witch or wizard"

"Yeah, could you imagine if my cousin was a wizard" said Harry starting to laugh. "The look on my uncle's face would be priceless"

Harry and Ron amused themselves for several minutes at the thought of Dudley being a wizard and imagining Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's reaction.

"_What if Dudley had got a letter from Hogwarts"_ thought Harry when he was in bed. Questions were forming in his mind. Would Dudley have wanted to come? Would his mother and father have let him? Which house would he be in? Would Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia treat Harry any better? If Dudley was a wizard, would he and Harry have become friends?

By Monday morning Harry had almost forgotten about meeting Adam Prince, so it came as a shock when he came down the marble staircase and saw Adam hurrying towards him.

"Harry! Ernie and Justin told me all about you!" he said excitedly "Is they're really books written about you?"

"Yeah" said Harry "There's a couple of movies too. I haven't seen them"

"And we're in one of the books right now?" said Adam.

"Yes. This one's called _Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince_" said Harry. "And you're the Half Blood Prince"

"This is weird" said Adam "I didn't even know I was in a book, and now I suppose you could say I'm a fairly important character. Not as important as you of course..."

"Yeah I s'pose you could" said Harry "My friend Hermione reckons people would have skipped ahead to see who you were."

"I wonder what I'm meant to do" said Adam.

"Don't ask me" said Harry "I'm not writing this"

"But if you were, would you do anything different?" asked Adam.

Harry thought for a few seconds.

"Well I'd give the Weasley's more money" he said "And I'd make my Aunt and Uncle and cousin nicer. What else? Oh yeah. I would have made everyone believe me when Voldemort came back, and Umbridge wouldn't have been teaching here last year. If you could call it teaching. Did Ernie and Justin tell you about her?"

"Yeah. She sounds awful" said Adam

"She was" said Harry.

"So would you change anything else?" asked Adam.

Harry thought what he would like to change most about the books that J.K Rowling had written about him would be to let his parents live and he, Harry could have enjoyed a normal life. However, he did not say this to Adam.

"I'd get Draco Malfoy expelled, and Snape sacked" said Harry.

Over the next few days it seemed that Adam Prince's sole purpose was to pester Harry. He couldn't walk down a corridor without Adam running over to him and asking things like "Can you really talk to snakes?" "Did you really fight You Know Who?" "Were you really the youngest Quidditch player in a hundred years?"

"Here he comes" hissed Ron on Thursday afternoon as he, Harry and Hermione were leaving Professor Flitwick's classroom. Adam called out to Harry.

"Hey! Harry! Is it true that one of your old teachers had You Know Who sticking out of the back of his head?"

Harry finally lost patience.

"Look" he said through gritted teeth "if you want to know all this stuff, why can't you just go and read the books?"

"Or ask him" said Ron pointing at Colin Creevey who had just come around the corner. "He can tell you just about anything you want to know about Harry."


	9. Taking Risks

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

The next few weeks passed without incident, although Harry noticed that Ron was asking quite a few questions about the Muggle world.

"Ron, you should have taken Muggle studies" sighed Hermione when Ron asked her what lawnmowers were for. Ron looked horrified at the thought of having to do extra work. "Quidditch match tomorrow" he said changing the subject. "I thought I might go and watch it. What about you two?"

"I'll come" said Hermione "What about you, Harry?"

"I don't know" said Harry "It's not the same watching from the stands"

"Oh go on, Harry" said Ron "You haven't been to a game for ages"

"And Gryffindor have got a pretty good team" said Hermione. "It won't be like last time when..." Hermione stopped as she saw the look on Ron's face. "Oh, Ron, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"Forget it" said Ron "You're right. We were hopeless. Well not all of us. Just me and Kirke and Sloper"

"Now that you mention it, it does seem odd that J.K Rowling didn't make you a better player to begin with, Ron" said Hermione thoughtfully.

"Well she had to find an excuse for Malfoy to have a go at me, didn't she?" said Ron. "But she was totally out of order banning you, Harry"

"I think she did that for a reason" said Hermione. "But I'm not sure what"

Harry thought for a moment.

"Well if I was playing last year, we wouldn't have met Grawp. That must be it."

"That makes sense" said Hermione "So will you come to the match, Harry?"

"Yes alright then"

By the next morning Harry was really looking forward to the match. He joined Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna Lovegood in the stands. Luna was wearing the ridiculous lion hat that she had made last year.

"Here they come!" said Hermione as the Gryffindor team marched onto the pitch. Ginny was easily visible because of her bright red hair. Harry didn't know who any of the new players were. The Hufflepuff team was approaching from the other side of the stadium. Katie Bell shook hands with Zacharias Smith and Madam Hooch released the balls.

"Hufflepuff in possession. Smith with the Quaffle, Bludger from Bailey..."

"Who's doing the commentary?" asked Harry.

"Stewart Ackerley" said Luna "He's in Ravenclaw"

"Gryffindor in possession. Bell passes to...Quaffle intercepted by Connor . Hufflepuff in possession. Connor to Smith. Smith headed for..."

"GINNY'S SEEN THE SNITCH!" shouted Neville causing everyone around him to jump. Ginny was flying full speed towards the Hufflepuff goal posts.

"COME ON, GINNY!" bellowed Ron.

The Gryffindors in the crowd were on their feet cheering Ginny, but one of the Hufflepuff Chasers swerved in front of her, forcing her to change course. In those few seconds the Snitch had disappeared. "YOU SCUM!" yelled Ron shaking his fist at the Hufflepuff Chaser. Ron was even more irate when he found out that Zacharias Smith had scored.

"Hufflepuff leads ten points to zero" said Ackerley "Gryffindor in possession. Jefferies passes to Bell, back to Jefferies. Jefferies hit by a Bludger from Verloc, drops the Quaffle and it's caught by Connor of Hufflepuff. Connor passes to Smith, Bell intercepts. Gryffindor in possession. Here comes a Bludger, Bell dodges, heading for goal. She scores!"

Ackerley's next words were drowned out by the Gryffindors around Harry screaming and stamping their feet and a loud roar from Luna's hat. Gryffindor scored twice more. Ginny and the Hufflepuff Seeker, Summerby were both circling the pitch searching for the tiny Snitch. Katie dropped the Quaffle when Bailey hit a Bludger towards her. Smith caught it and passed it to one of his fellow Chasers, who scored.

"Gryffindor leads thirty points to twenty" called Ackerley.

In the stands Harry was also looking for the Snitch. There had been no sign of it since Ginny had first seen it. Gryffindor had pulled ahead by three more goals, but if Summerby caught the Snitch Hufflepuff would win.

"Smith going for goal" said Ackerley "Kirby saves. Look at Summerby!"

Summerby was diving, but Harry couldn't see any glint of gold near the ground.

"HE'S FEINTING!" roared Harry "GINNY! DON'T FOLLOW HIM!"

Someone sitting behind Harry tapped him on the shoulder.

"What?" he asked turning around to face Lavender Brown.

"Is that the Snitch?" she asked "There, in front of Gryffindor's left goal post?"

Harry looked at where Lavender was pointing.

"That's it!" he said excitedly.

Ginny had seen it too. She shot towards the Gryffindor goals, a few seconds later she raised one fist in the air in triumph.

"She caught it!" shouted Harry.

"WELL DONE, GINNY!" bellowed Ron over the cheering crowd and the roar from Luna's hat.

"Gryffindor win two hundred and ten points to twenty!" shouted Ackerley as the rest of the Gryffindor team converged on Ginny.

"Let's nick some stuff from the kitchens and have a party tonight" suggested Ron.

Harry nodded in agreement. So Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way out of the stadium before anyone else and went down to the kitchens where the house elves were busy preparing dinner.

"Harry Potter!" shouted Dobby flinging himself at Harry.

"Hi, Dobby" said Harry "How are you?"

"Dobby is fine, Harry Potter sir" squeaked Dobby "But Dobby is wishing that J.K Rowling is not writing him to be so annoying, so that more people would be liking him, sir"

"Dobby, there are lots of people who like you" said Hermione earnestly.

"Yeah loads" said Harry although he was not sure if this was true.

"Harry Potter is too kind" said Dobby "Can Dobby get something for Harry Potter?"

"Yeah we're having a party" said Harry. "We were wondering if you could give us some food"

"Of course, Harry Potter sir!" squeaked Dobby.

Harry, Ron and Hermione left the kitchens ten minutes later carrying huge amounts of food and drink.

"I'm sure this will be enough" said Hermione when they had put it all down in the Gryffindor common room "I don't like the house elves having to do extra work"

"I thought you gave up on that spew stuff" said Ron.

"It's not spew, Ron"said Hermione Just because the house elves don't want clothes, it doesn't mean.."

"Hermione, if you keep this spew stuff up they're going to start some kind of rebellion against you, and in a hundred years from now Binns will be giving lectures about it in History of Magic" said Ron. Professor Binns was the only ghost teacher at Hogwarts. His class was easily the most boring and most students used it to catch up on sleep.

Hermione appeared to be quite insulted by Ron's remark, for she suddenly declared she needed to go to the library.

"Do you reckon we've got enough food?" said Ron.

"Yeah I think so" said Harry "It'd be good if we could get some butterbeer though, but we'd have to sneak into Hogsmeade to get it"

"We could do it" said Ron. "Sneak into Hogsmeade, I mean. Fred and George did it all the time. And we've got the map and the invisibility cloak"

"Let's do it" said Harry.

Harry and Ron ran upstairs. Harry searched through his trunk for the Marauders Map and his invisibility cloak. He took some money out of his bag too"

"OK let's go" said Harry. They went back downstairs and, after making sure no one was watching them, climbed out of the portrait hole. Harry pulled the map out of his pocket and tapped it with his wand.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" he whispered.

The Hogwarts castle and grounds showed up on the aged piece of parchment. Tiny dots showed people moving around.

"Where's Filch?" asked Ron

"Near Binns' classroom" said Harry. "Mrs Norris is outside the library"

Harry checked the map at every corner on the way to the statue of the humpbacked witch on the third floor.

"Dissendium" whispered Harry tapping the hump with his wand. Harry climbed through the narrow opening first. About half a minute later Ron landed beside him with a thud. Harry wiped the map and the two of them ran along the passage. Ron had never used it before, but Harry had in his third year when he did not have permission to visit Hogsmeade. They put the cloak on just before they climbed through the trapdoor at Honeydukes. There were a few people in the shop, but it was nowhere near as busy as it was when Hogwarts students visited. Harry and Ron followed a stooped grey haired wizard and a small girl out of the shop. They had almost reached The Three Broomsticks when Ron nudged Harry in the ribs.

"What?" he hissed.

"Go around the back" hissed Ron "Might be someone out there to give it to us"

Ron was right, a young wizard with a shaved head was sweeping a back room.

"I'd better stay under the cloak" whispered Harry "If anyone sees me they'll know who I am"

Ron nodded and stepped out from under the cloak

"Oi" he said tapping on the door.

"Yeah" said the wizard.

"Could we...er could I get six cases of butterbeer?" said Ron.

"Hang on" said the wizard lazily. He took five wooden crates down from a nearby shelf.

"Sixteen Galleons, eight Sickles" he said stacking the crates in front of Ron who handed over some gold. As soon as the wizard's back was turned, Harry and Ron used a charm to make the crates lighter. They each picked up three crates and Ron stepped under the cloak again. They had walk more carefully, but they managed to get back into the passage without anyone bumping into them. Harry got the map out again just before they climbed through the witch's hump. They didn't meet anyone on their way to the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Ron put the butterbeer with the food they had taken from the kitchens. The portrait hole opened and Hermione walked in.

"Where did you get those from?" she asked suspiciously pointing to the cases of butterbeer.

"Hogsmeade" said Ron casually. "We went out through that passage that goes to Honeydukes"

"What?" shouted Hermione "Are you telling me you snuck out of school..."

"Relax, Hermione, we paid for them" said Harry.

"That's not the point!" said Hermione angrily "Do you know how dangerous that was? Did it occur to either of you that Voldemort might know about that passage by now?"

"Come off it, Hermione" said Ron exasperatedly "It's too early for something like that to happen"

"What do you mean, too early?" snapped Hermione.

"Well" said Ron imitating Hermione's isn't-it-obvious voice "normally that's the sort of thing that happens after our exams"


	10. Mistaken Impressions

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Hermione didn't speak to Harry and Ron for the rest of the weekend, except to threaten to tell Professor McGonagall about the Marauders Map.

"Wrong book, Hermione" said Ron in a mock condescending tone. "You did that when we were in our third year, remember?"

Hermione muttered something that sounded like "I give up" and left the common room in a huff. Part of Harry knew that Hermione was right; Sneaking into Hogsmeade had been stupid.

"She has a point" Harry told Ron. "What if Voldemort knows about that passage? Wormtail's probably told him. He helped write the map."

"What are you saying?" said Ron "That You Know Who's just going to wait in that passage in case you get the urge to sneak out of school? Harry, that's stupid"

Harry and Ron forgot about their fight with Hermione on Monday morning. In Potions Snape had set them to work making Veritaserum and announced that they would all be testing it when it was ready. Something Harry was not looking forward to. He cringed at the thought of revealing all his secrets for Snape and the Slytherins to hear. And Harry knew that Snape would love to hear him admitting to some of the things he had done; such as throwing a Filibuster Firework into Goyle's cauldron in his second year and visiting Hogsmeade illegally.

"Sir" said Hermione thrusting her hand into the air "I thought the laws about using Veritaserum were very strict. Why are you making us drink it?"

Hermione's voice sounded slightly panicky. Harry thought she must be worried about the prospect of admitting she had robbed Snape's private potions supply.

"You are going to drink it because it fits in with the story in ways I don't understand because I am not writing it" said Snape "Ten points from Gryffindor for making me look stupid"

After an hour and a half of being in the dungeon with Snape, who was in a particularly bad mood, Harry couldn't wait to get outside for Care Of Magical Creatures. He and Ron were walking a little way behind the Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Theodore Nott. Crabbe, Goyle and Nott all appeared to be listening intently to Malfoy. Harry moved closer to hear what he was saying."

"...slip Potter some of that stuff. I want to ask him a few things"

Nott nodded and whispered something Harry could not hear. Crabbe and Goyle grunted. Harry let Parvati and Lavender get between him and Malfoy so he could tell Ron and Hermione what he had just overheard.

"I don't know what you're so worried about, Harry" said Hermione reasonably. Malfoy's going to have a hard time slipping you Veritaserum, and even if he does you've got nothing to hide"

"Yeah. I can't believe I thought Nott was OK though" said Harry.

"I thought you'd be used to finding out you had the wrong ideas about people by now, Harry" said Hermione.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ron.

"Well you thought that Snape was evil..."

"He is. I don't care if he's in the Order. He's still evil" said Ron I suppose we've got it wrong about You Know Who, too. We'll probably get to the end of the seventh book and find out he just wanted to take Harry out for tea or something" he added sarcastically.

Over the next few days Harry was plagued by nightmares about Malfoy tricking him into drinking Veritaserum. He wouldn't eat if Malfoy was already in the great Hall when he arrived. As the Slytherin common room was much closer to the Great Hall than the Gryffindor common room Harry missed several meals. By Friday he decided to conjure his own food, with little success.

"Harry, just go to the kitchens and get some food off Dobby!" Hermione snapped when Harry accidentally sprayed her with bits of broken glass, pumpkin, mashed potato and steak.

"Yeah I'll come too" said Ron quickly.

"You ate dinner, Ron" said Hermione pointedly.

"Never thought Hermione would tell anyone to nick food from the kitchens" said Harry as he walked along the brightly lit corridor that lead to the school kitchens. Now that Hermione had mentioned it getting food from Dobby seemed the logical thing to do.

"Hi, Harry. What are you doing down here?"

Harry turned around. Adam Prince was running towards him. He had forgotten that this corridor also lead to the Hufflepuff common room.

"One of the house elves that works here is a friend of mine. I'm going to see him" said Harry, which was partly true. He didn't feel like explaining that he hadn't eaten because he was afraid that Malfoy was trying to slip a truth potion into his food.

"Oh right" said Adam "Listen, Harry, I read the books like you told me to..."

"Er good" said Harry distractedly, feeling that more questions were coming up.

"And I reckon there's something going on with your Aunt" said Adam. "I think she might be a Squib"

Aunt Petunia a Squib? Harry thought about this as he ate a large helping of chicken and ham pie that Dobby had given him. The more thought he gave it, the more sense it seemed to make. It explained his grandparents being proud of having a witch in the family and Aunt Petunia knowing about things like Dementors and Azkaban. As soon as he finished eating Harry ran upstairs to the stone gargoyle which concealed the entrance to professor Dumbledore's office. Then he realised he did not know the password. Harry named every wizard and muggle sweet he could think of becoming more frustrated with every guess, but the gargoyle did not move.

"Just open" thought Harry as he felt in his pockets for something that might be the password to Dumbledore's office. He pulled out a small purple and orange sweet.

"Skiving Snackbox!" he shouted.

The Gargoyle sprang aside and Harry sprinted up the spiral staircase and hammered on the door at the top.

"Come in" called Dumbledore.

"Professor!" said Harry as he burst into the room "I wanted to ask you, is my Aunt a Squib?"

"No she is not, Harry" said Dumbledore.

"Are you sure?" asked Harry.

"Positive" said Dumbledore. "I did not teach your grandparents on your mother's side. And Ms Rowling has been kind enough to confirm that your Aunt is not a Squib"

Harry was about to ask how Dumbledore knew this, then he remembered that the headmaster read the muggle newspapers.

"Is there anything else you wish to ask me, Harry?" said Dumbledore.

Harry was about to say "no", but he changed his mind.

"Yes. I was wondering about the...about..."

"Mr Prince?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes him" said Harry. "I was wondering is he going to be important to the story? Because right now he's just like Colin Creevey was in his first year"

Dumbledore did not answer Harry's question directly. Instead he asked,

"It was Mr Prince who suggested that your Aunt may be a Squib, was it not?"

"Yes" said Harry.

"And you came straight to me to see if it were so" said Dumbledore. "It seems that Mr Prince's part in this book is to encourage you to question the things you have never questioned before.


	11. One Good Slytherin

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

On the last day of term before the Easter holidays Snape announced that the sixth years would be testing their Veritaserum one week into the new term.

"That's something to look forward to in our holiday" Ron whispered to Harry and Hermione.

"I'm using one of Fred and George's Skiving Snackboxes and going off sick that day" Harry whispered back.

"Good idea" said Ron.

"What's a good idea, Weasley?" asked Snape icily.

Harry and Ron looked up to see Snape looking down his hooked nose at them.

"I think it's a good idea to put the two of you in detention" Snape continued. "Seven o'clock tonight. Now clear up and get out of here"

Harry and Ron were both angry about getting detention from Snape, but they cheered up when they entered Bill's classroom for double Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"I thought we might have a duelling competition. How about it?"

The class looked at each other and began to whisper excitedly.

"Why don't we use the room of requirement?" suggested Harry.

"Excellent idea, Harry" said Bill.

Five minutes later the class had assembled in the room of requirement.

"Bow to your partners" called Bill "Wands ready? On my whistle. Three, two one!"

Bill blew his whistle. Everyone waved their wands and shouted incantations. Seamus's wand flew out of his hand. Lavender was sent flying across the room when Neville reflected her impedient jinx back onto her. Ron was doubled up on the floor with laughter thanks to a Cheering Charm from Harry. Ron raised his wand to hit Harry with a jinx

"Ha ha Petrif...ha ha...exp...ha ha" Ron dropped his wand.

"Next round" called Bill "Change partners!"

Harry paired up with Parvati who used the reductor curse on a torch just above his head. Harry moved out of the way just in time and sent a Stunning spell at Parvati which she ducked.

"Expelliarmus!" shouted Parvati

"Protego!" yelled Harry.

Parvati's wand went spinning out of her hand and landed on a nearby pile of books. Bill made them change partners every few minutes so that every member of the class got to duel with everyone else. Harry was the most successful winning all of his duels.

"Class dismissed!" said Bill as he gave Harry a box of chocolate frogs.

"We'll want them later" said Ron pointing to the box in Harry's hands "after we've done our detention"

Ron was quite right. After three hours of cleaning up chewing gum, ink and chalk left all over the castle by Peeves Harry and Ron were exhausted.

"What the hell was Rowling thinking when she put that bloody poltergeist got to be in the books?" demanded Ron as he helped himself to a frog.

"He uffel a' time" said Harry thickly. He had just bitten his own frog in half.

"I sposo" said Ron stuffing an entire frog into his mouth "Bu' wikett e be uffel wout bing blnwesen?"

"What?" asked Harry.

Ron swallowed his frog with some difficulty.

"I said Why can't he be useful without being a bloody nuisance?"

"Dunno" said Harry. "I bet Snape told him to make all that mess today"

"Wouldn't surprise me" said Ron darkly. "There's another one these books could do without. Oh hi Hermione"

Hermione had just come down the girl's staircase.

"I have good news" she said.

"What?" asked Harry and Ron suspiciously

"Malfoy's gone home for the holidays. I saw him getting into a carriage after dinner"

Harry and Ron cheered up at once.

Harry and Ron spent most of the Easter holidays on the Quidditch pitch or visiting Hagrid. Hermione kept nagging them to do their homework.

"We'd better get some of this work done" said Harry. "Hermione's not going to let us copy hers"

"She always says that" said Ron "then she lets us borrow her notes anyway"

"But she's not here" said Harry.

Hermione had finished all her work and was now spending most of her spare time in the library.

"Well I'm going to do this later" said Ron setting his essay on the Fidelius Charm for Professor Flitwick aside. "Think I'll take a walk"

Harry followed Ron out of the portrait hole. It seemed like half the school was taking advantage of the unusually warm weather. Several fifth and seventh years were sitting under trees revising for their upcoming O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts. Some younger students were enjoying a game of gobstones near the edge of the lake. Harry spotted Adam Prince coming over to say hello.

"Hi, Harry" said Adam "I can't wait for the next book to come out. What do you think is going to happen?"

"Er" said Harry.

"My brother Percy will take dancing lessons from the giant squid" said Ron sarcastically.

"You know what I think?" said Adam then without waiting for an answer "I reckon one of the Slytherins will end up being good"

"Mental" said Ron later that evening. "No Slytherin's ever turned out good" They were back in the common room tackling their huge pile of homework.

"They can't all have been evil" said Hermione "I mean in over a thousand years there must have been _some_ decent Slytherins"

"_Are there any decent Slytherins?"_ Harry wondered as he lay awake that night. The Sorting hat always described Slytherins as cunning and ambitious and most of the Slytherins that he knew fitted that description. Harry couldn't think of any Slytherin who he might begin to describe as good.

On the first day of the new term Snape was waiting in his classroom along with twenty bottles of Veritaserum. Harry had forgotten that they would be testing it.

"When I call your name, come to the front of the classroom" said Snape looking straight at Harry who tried to look unconcerned. He could think of several questions that Snape might ask him.

"_Maybe I got it wrong and it won't work_" Harry thought hopefully. Snape seemed to read his mind for the next words out of his mouth were "If anyone deliberately got their potion wrong, I should tell you that none of you is going to test your own potion. Snape's eyes were still on Harry who was hoping that Snape would test Crabbe or Goyle's potion on him. They were the most likely to have got it wrong. But Snape's right hand hovered and then came to rest above a bottle clearly marked with Hermione's name.

The door suddenly opened and Dumbledore strolled in.

"Headmaster" said Snape stumbling backwards. Dumbledore seemed not to notice.

"Professor Snape, due to the strict guidelines regarding the use of Veritaserum, I am required to watch over this lesson" said Dumbledore casually.

"Very well" said Snape.

"And you may only ask questions that appear on this list" said Dumbledore handing Snape a piece of parchment. "Would you care to begin?"

"Yes of course" said Snape failing to hold the note of disappointment in his voice "Potter, up here" Snape paused for a second before adding "please"

When Harry was seated at the front of the classroom, Snape handed him a spoon with three drops of Veritaserum on it. Harry tipped it down his throat as his classmates watched. A few seconds later he heard Snape's voice.

"What is your full name?"

Without thinking Harry opened his mouth and answered "Harry James Potter"

"What is your date of birth?"

"The thirty first of July"

"What are – what were your parent's names?"

"James and Lily Potter"

After a few more questions Snape gave Harry an antidote and sent him back to his seat. He didn't like the feeling of automatically answering questions without thinking about them. It reminded Harry of being possessed by Voldemort.

"Well at least the questions aren't too bad" whispered Hermione when Harry mentioned this to her and Ron.

"Yeah they are" Ron contradicted her "Snape's asking everyone their full name"

"So what?" said Harry "There's nothing wrong with that"

"There is if your middle name's Bilius" muttered Ron.


	12. Revision and Resolutions

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

As the end of term drew nearer, Hermione started nagging Harry and Ron about studying for their exams.

"We've got ages" Ron complained.

"Hermione, the exams are weeks away" said Harry

"You say that every year" said Hermione impatiently. "I'm just glad that JK Rowling didn't give me such bad study habits"

Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione as she walked out of the Gryffindor common room.

"Probably gone to send a letter to Rowling" he told Harry "You know; Dear Ms Rowling. Can you make Harry and Ron spend more time studying?"

Harry burst out laughing and a few seventh years who were busy revising for their N.E.W.Ts glared at him. Wanting to be alone, Harry went up to his dormitory a short time later. While he knew his exams were approaching and that he should be studying he had his reasons for not wanting to think about them.

The first was that exams meant the end of term which meant returning to Privet Drive. The only ray of hope Harry could see about this situation was that his seventeenth birthday was only a few months away and he would then be an adult in the wizarding world. But would Dumbledore allow him to leave the Dursley's if Voldemort was still alive? Somehow Harry didn't think so. But at least he would be allowed to use magic away from Hogwarts. Harry smiled to himself as he imagined the Dursley's reaction to this fact.

The other reason Harry didn't want to think about exams was, as Ron had pointed out earlier, that was always the time when something bad seemed to happen.

"_Not this year_" thought Harry "_When the exams are finished I'm going to stay in Gryffindor tower until it's time to go home_"

The teachers were piling huge amounts of revision and homework on the students. Ron had expressed hope that Bill might set an easy exam. But with the amount of homework they received in Defence Against the Dark Arts that seemed unlikely. But Harry wasn't worried about Defence Against the Dark Arts as he had never had trouble in it before. It was potions Harry was worried about. His least favourite subject was made worse by Snape breathing down his neck. Harry knew that he needed a N.E.W.T in potions to get into Auror training. He also knew that he wouldn't be in the class this year if Dumbledore hadn't changed the rules and made everyone study potions.

"But why?" thought Harry. Had Dumbledore changed the rules for him?

"Harry! Harry"

Hermione was waving her hand in front of Harry's face.

"What?" he asked distractedly.

"Have you seen my Rune dictionary?"

"No. Ask Ron" said Harry vaguely.

"He's not here" said Hermione.

"Yes he is" said Harry "he's..." Harry pointed to the now empty chair that Ron had been occupying.

"Where'd he go?" asked Harry.

"He went to get some food from the kitchens ten minutes ago" said Hermione.

"Well he could have asked if we wanted to come!" said Harry angrily.

"He did" said Hermione "You said you weren't hungry. You can't have been paying attention"

Had Harry been that distracted by his thoughts that he didn't notice the person sitting opposite him get up and leave the room? Or was his lapse in concentration caused by something more sinister?

"_Maybe Voldemort's_ _possessing_ me" he thought. "_No that's stupid. He can't. Dumbledore said so_"

"Maybe he's found a way to possess you" said a small voice inside Harry's head.

Harry got to his feet.

"Where are you going?" asked Hermione.

"Think I'll go and find Ron" said Harry "I think I do want something to eat after all"

He crossed the common room and climbed out of the portrait hole before Hermione could follow him. The truth was Harry had no intention of looking for Ron. Instead he wanted to find Ginny. He thought she might be in the library. But she wasn't. Harry did find Colin Creevey deeply engrossed in what looked like five years of Defence Against the Dark Arts notes. He almost jumped out of his seat when Harry called his name. Madam Pince gave the pair of them a very stern look.

"Sorry, Colin" said Harry. "I was just wondering if you know where Ginny is"

"I heard her say something about Quidditch practice" said Colin.

"OK thanks" said Harry as he started to walk off.

"Harry, wait a minute" called Colin causing Madam Pince to frown at them again.

"What?" asked Harry slightly warily.

"It's just I'm having trouble with the wand movements for some of these spells" said Colin. "Do you think you could help me out? Later when you're not busy, I mean"

Harry agreed to help Colin after dinner. He left the library thinking that he liked the way Colin no longer seemed to worship him and was now treating him like anyone else. Harry turned a corner and walked straight into Crabbe and Goyle. Harry expected them to curse him or throw a punch. He didn't expect them to look at each other with confused looks on their faces, which was exactly what they did do.

"Are you waiting for Malfoy to come along and give you instructions?" said Harry.

It appeared that was exactly what Crabbe and Goyle were doing because neither of them moved even when Harry reached into his pocket for his wand.

"What's going on here?"

Harry looked up. Snape was striding down the corridor. He reached the spot where Harry, Crabbe and Goyle were standing. Crabbe and Goyle now looked even more confused. Something Snape seemed to notice because his next words were.

"No point in asking you two. I've seen flobberworms with more brains. You two are easily the most boring characters in these books and it is a great shame to me to have you in my house"

Crabbe and Goyle blinked stupidly, clearly unaware of what Snape had just said.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly making him jump "What is going on here"

"Nothing" said Harry truthfully. "I was coming around the corner and we bumped into each other. That's all. Can I go now?"

"Yes go on, Potter"

As soon as Harry had gone down one floor he broke into a run. He sprinted onto the Quidditch pitch. Ginny wasn't there but he could hear voices coming from the Gryffindor change rooms. Harry knocked hard on the door. A few seconds later Katie Bell opened it.

"What, Harry?" she asked.

"I wanted a word with Ginny" said Harry.

"It'll have to wait. We've got a match to train for" said Katie at the same time as Ginny called out "What is it, Harry?"

Harry ignored Katie and spoke to Ginny.

"I need to talk to you about Voldemort" he said urgently.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team gasped at the sound of Voldemort's name.

"Go on, Ginny" said Katie her voice shaking slightly "Just – just don't be too long"

"Harry, what's wrong?" asked Ginny when she and Harry had walked a short way away from the change rooms. Harry told her about his fear that Voldemort was possessing him.

"What happened?" asked Ginny.

"Well I was in the common room with Ron and Hermione" said Harry "And Ron got up and left and I didn't even notice. He even said he was going down to the kitchens and I don't remember it"

"Can you remember what you did since leaving the common room and coming here?" asked Ginny.

"I went to the library" said Harry. "and I talked to Colin. He told me you might be out here. Then I left and I bumped into Crabbe and Goyle. Snape came along then I came here. That's all"

"I don't think you're being possessed, Harry" said Ginny.

"Then why didn't I notice that Ron wasn't in the common room?" hissed Harry.

Ginny thought for a moment.

"Well were you paying attention to what he was doing? Or were you preoccupied with other things?"

"I was thinking about exams" said Harry half truthfully. At that moment Katie came striding up to them.

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'll let you get on with your practice" said Harry and he started to walk back to the castle.

"Hey, Harry! Wait a sec!"

Harry turned around. Katie was running towards him.

"Do you want to stay and watch our practice?" she asked.

"Alright then" agreed Harry.

"It's too bad you weren't allowed back on the team" said Katie.

"Yeah McGonagall said the book'd take longer to write if I was" said Harry. "How come you chucked Ron off the team?"

"Partly because heaps of people like Ron and they want to see what he's doing" said Katie "they don't want to read 'Harry was playing a game of Exploding Snap with Neville while Ron had Quidditch practice'. And partly because he hit me in the face with the Quaffle. Well we'd better get started, Harry"

Harry found a seat half-way up the stands to watch Gryffindor's practice. He felt a slight pang that he was not up there with them. But at the same time he felt that Gryffindors chance to win the Quidditch cup looked better than ever. Katie had certainly put a very good team together. Harry thought to himself that he wouldn't be surprised if he saw the two Beaters, Bailey and Kirby on one of the league teams in a few years from now. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Ginny going into a spectacular dive. Then he saw she wasn't diving at all, she had fallen off her broom. Harry sprinted onto the pitch while the rest of the team landed next to Ginny who was unconscious. It seemed that she had been hit in the back of the head by a Bludger. The offending Beater, Bailey, could only gibber.

"Ginny, er can you hear me? I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. Ginny, say something!" he said shaking her slightly.

"Careful. She's bleeding" said Katie. This caused Bailey to become more hysterical.

"We better take her to Madam Pomfrey" said Harry.

Katie ordered two of her players to bring the ball crate back to Madam Hooch's office. Bailey was still gibbering.

"Don't worry. Madam Pomfrey will know what to do" said Harry. "Ginny'll be OK"

"I hope so" he said "I know this sounds terrible, but I hate to think what her brother's going to do to me if she's not"

"Which one?" asked Harry curiously. He couldn't imagine any of the Weasley boys seeking revenge on someone because of an accident.

"What do you mean which one?" asked Bailey "Oh god! She's got six brothers hasn't she? I'm dead"

"We'd better bring him along too" said Katie "Let's just hope we don't run into Ron on the way"


	13. Rowling's Reasons

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Madam Pomfrey had assured the Gryffindor Quidditch team that Ginny would make a full recovery, but that she was also likely to miss their final match against Ravenclaw. Harry couldn't help feeling sorry for the team as he left the hospital wing with Katie and Bailey. But Harry knew they must be feeling far worse than he did.

"It'll be my fault if we lose won't it?" said Bailey "Great player I am. Putting one of my team mates in the hospital wing so she can't play"

"Madam Pomfrey didn't say Ginny was definitely going to miss our match against Ravenclaw. She might be OK" said Katie without any conviction in her voice.

"You might be able to win without a Seeker" said Harry in the same non convincing tone Katie had used. "I mean it's possible. Ireland did it at the World Cup"

"Yeah we'll just make sure we stay a hundred and sixty points instead of Ravenclaw" said Katie in a tone of voice that indicated such a thing was impossible. "Whoever made up the rules..."

"Rowling" Bailey interrupted her.

"What?" said Katie.

"Rowling" said Bailey "She invented Quidditch so she made up the rules didn't she?"

"Yeah well she should change the rule that says you can't have substitutes" said Katie "Well, I have homework to do". Katie stalked off in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. Bailey wandered off a few seconds later leaving Harry alone.

"Hey, Harry!"

Ron and Hermione were coming down the corridor.

"Harry, Hermione said you were looking for me in the kitchens" said Ron "said you were hungry"

"I changed my mind" said Harry, silently thanking JK Rowling for giving him the ability to lie quickly as he did so. "I thought I'd go and watch Gryffindor's Quidditch practice"

"So you saw what happened to Ginny" said Ron.

"Sort of" said Harry "How do you know anyway?"

"McGonagall just told me" said Ron pushing open the double doors of the hospital wing. Harry and Hermione followed him in.

"I want to see my sister" said Ron as Madam Pomfrey came bustling up to the three of them.

"Not now, Weasley" said Madam Pomfrey in a firm but friendly voice. "Come back after dinner. She should be awake then"

"Why'd Rowling make Ginny get knocked out?" questioned Ron as they walked away from the hospital wing.

"She'll have her reasons" said Hermione logically.

It seemed that JK Rowling did, indeed, have her reasons for Ginny's accident as Harry found out when he entered the Great Hall for dinner that evening. He had barely sat down when he was almost yanked out of his seat by Katie Bell.

"Harry, come with me. I want to talk to you"

"_What's she got to say to me that she can't say here?_" thought Harry as Katie dragged him out of the hall. He was so confused that he didn't even notice Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls whispering and pointing. Katie found an empty classroom and half threw Harry inside. She had the same look in her eyes that Hermione often had when she got started on something like S.P.E.W

"I've just been to see McGonagall to tell her about Ginny's accident" said Katie excitedly

"Right" said Harry.

"Well you know she wants Gryffindor to win the cup, but obviously we don't have much chance if we haven't got a Seeker" said Katie

"Er" said Harry wondering why Katie was possibly telling him this.

"Anyway" she went on "I asked if I could use another player..."

"But substitutes aren't allowed" said Harry.

"It's not a substitute, it's just a change to the line up" said Katie "There's a difference. Well anyway, I asked McGonagall if we could have you and she agreed"

"YOU'RE JOKING!" shouted Harry.

"No I'm not" said Katie. "So, Harry, will you play?"

"Course I will"

The Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw took place a week later. Harry was feeling confident as he marched onto the pitch. The Ravenclaw team approached from the other side. Harry spotted Cho Chang among them. He had forgotten that she would be playing. She seemed to be taken aback by the sight of Harry on the pitch and avoided looking at him. Harry was not bothered in the least by this. In fact, it had it's advantages. Cho appeared to be so intent on avoiding him, that Harry was able to look for the Snitch with very little interference. He caught it after about ten minutes securing the Quidditch cup for Gryffindor. Cho threw Harry a dirty look as the rest of the Gryffinor team converged on him. As they landed more Gryffindors were sprinting onto the pitch. Harry was almost flattened by people rushing to shake his hand. Five minutes later the cup had been awarded and the crowd was slowly returning to the castle.

"Congratulations, Harry" said a voice behind him.

Harry turned around. Luna Lovegood was standing there. "You played a really good game" she said.

"Er thanks, Luna" said Harry. It felt strange to be congratulated by a Ravenclaw when he had just beaten them. But the day's surprises were not over. At dinner that evening Professor Dumbledore made an announcement.

"There will be one more Quidditch match this year"

Whispering broke out among the students. When it stopped Dumbledore continued. "The match will take place at two o'clock one week from tomorrow. Tryouts begin at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Anyone who wishes to try out is welcome to do so"

"I'm going for it" whispered Harry. Next to him Ron nodded vigorously.

The next morning it seemed as if every student in the school who owned a broomstick was at the tryouts. Several others had turned up just to watch. Harry spotted the Gryffindor Beaters, Bailey and Kirby. But when he looked at them again Bailey had vanished. Madam Hooch had asked everyone trying out to indicate which postion they wished to play and was now calling people at random to try out. Ron was among the first to be called.

"If you're playing we might as well forfeit now" said Malfoy loudly as Ron stepped into the middle of the pitch. Ron's ears turned red. Ron missed his first goal causing the Slytherins, led by Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, to sing a loud chorus of Weasley is our King. Ron left the pitch not much later. As much as Harry hated to admit it, Malfoy flew quite well when he got his turn to try out. Crabbe was hopless. About half an hour later Harry's name was called with a group of others including Goyle. Harry saw Malfoy whisper something to Goyle which he felt could not be good. Sure enough no sooner were they in the air when Goyle swung at Harry's head with his club. Harry ducked just in time and Madam Hooch blew her whistle. After speaking very sternly to Goyle and taking ten points from Slytherin she ordered him to leave the pitch.

"The team will be posted in the entrance hall later today" said Madam Hooch when tryouts had finished. Several students found excuses to walk across the entrance hall that day. Finally a notice appeared in the late afternoon. Harry, Ron and Hermione went to read it.

_SEEKER: Harry Potter_

_KEEPER: Ian _

_CHASERS: Katie Bell_

_Lucas Mitchell_

_Zacharias Smith_

_BEATERS: Martin Kirby_

_T_

_Please see Madam Hooch._

Harry ran upstairs to Madam Hooch's office. Zacharias Smith was already there along with another Hufflepuff player whose name Harry didn't know.

"Congratulations, all of you" said Madam Hooch when everyone had arrived. "Now as you know you will be playing in a Quidditch match one week from today. It will be up to you to choose your team captain and organise practices. You'll also have to think of a team name and give me a design for your robes by the end of the day. Any questions?"

"Yeah who are we playing against?" asked Zacharias.

"Some of our former students have put a team together" said Madam Hooch "You'll find out who they are on the day of the match. If there are no further questions you may go"

"Former students, that could mean anyone" said Kirby just after they left Madam Hooch's office "I mean Barry Ryan and Aidan Lynch went to Hogwarts didn't they"

"Probably, but I don't think that's who she means" said Harry. "Well should we get started?"

"What do you mean get started?"

"You know decide on a name, work out what design we want for our robes, choose a captain. That sort of thing"

The rest of the team nodded and they agreed to meet in the library in ten minutes time. Harry collected some quills, ink and parchment and went to meet his team mates. They decided to choose a name and pick their robes first.

"Any ideas?" asked Harry. "Has anyone got a favourite animal or something"

"Well I er I like Salamanders" said Mitchell hesitantly. "I mean they're interesting. But it doesn't sound right for a Quidditch team"

"We might as well write it down" said Harry unscrewing the lid on his ink bottle. He dipped his quill into the bottle accidentally spilling a few drops on the table as he pulled it out. "Won't be a second. I'll clean this up first"

Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at the ink spots. "Scourgify" The ink vanished Harry went to put his wand back in his pocket and was struck by a sudden thought "Phoenixes!" he said.

"That's good, Harry said Ian. "How did you think of that one?"

"My wand has a phoenix feather core" Harry explained. They agreed to call themselves the Phoenixes and settled on black robes with a phoenix surrounded by flames on the back and a smaller phoenix on the front. But none of them was particularly good at drawing.

"We could ask someone" said Harry.

"What about Dean Thomas in your year, Harry? He's good at drawing isn't he?" asked Kirby.

"Yeah I'll ask him" said Harry "Well I s'pose we need to choose a captain. Do you want to vote for it?"

"I vote for Harry" said Zacharias quickly. "Anyone else?"

To Harry's great surprise five hands shot into the air. Organising practices was easy. They just agreed to practice every evening between five and six for the next week and all day on Saturday. Harry was so excited about this upcoming match that he forgot to worry about something bad happening.


	14. The Phoenix and The Dragon

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Harry was woken up early on the day of the Quidditch match by a sudden pain in his scar. A horrible thought occurred to him. What if the opposing team were Death Eaters and the whole thing was a trap? Well he would know in a few hours (the team would be arriving at lunchtime). Unable to go back to sleep, Harry went to the owlery to see Hedwig. She hooted hopefully and flew down onto his shoulder. Harry didn't know if Hedwig was hoping food or a letter to deliver, but it didn't matter because he didn't have either.

He had only sent one letter all year. With Sirius gone he didn't have anyone to write to.

"Sorry" said Harry flatly. Hedwig screeched and took off again. "Wait a minute. We can go and see Hagrid"

So Harry walked through the almost deserted corridors with Hedwig balanced on his arm. He didn't meet anyone except for two ghosts, deep in conversation, who glided past Harry without looking at him and Mrs Norris who stared at him for a few seconds before slinking past him. Harry knew where she had gone. He hadn't taken two steps when Filch, the caretaker called out "Potter"

"I'm not doing anything wrong" said Harry turning to face Filch.

"Not doing anything wrong" Filch repeated "A likely story, Potter. What are you doing with that owl?"

"She's mine!" said Harry "Which you would know if you read any one of these books"

"Why should I read 'em, Potter?" said Filch "Woman's made me a laughing stock. Everyone hates me. And that bloody poltergeist..."

Right on cue Peeves appeared spraying ink all over the walls and floor.

"PEEVES!" bellowed Filch chasing after the poltergeist with a raised fist. Harry left Filch to it and continued outside. Hagrid was busy going about his gamekeeping duties.

"Harry! How are yeh!"

"Fine" said Harry.

"How abou' a spot o' breakfast?" asked Hagrid.

"Yes please" said Harry.

Ten minutes later Hagrid had cooked sausages and toast and made two large cups of tea.

"How're yeh feelin' abou' the match?" asked Hagrid. "Nervous a' all?"

"A bit" Harry admitted "We don't know who we're playing. I don't suppose you know"

"Can't tell yeh, Harry" said Hagrid "Yeh'll jus' have teh wait till they get here"

Harry left Hagrid's hut later that morning feeling relieved. There was no way a Death Eater would turn up at Hogwarts. What had he been thinking?

He found out who he was playing against not long after. He was sitting in the great hall with Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville when Neville pointed at the door and said "Ron, isn't that your brothers?"

Sure enough Fred, George and Charlie Weasley had just entered the hall and were making their way to the Gryffindor table closely followed by two more of Harry's former team mates Oliver Wood and Angelina Johnson. Marcus Flint and Roger Davies had come in too and were moving towards their old house tables. After stopping to say hello to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny Charlie went to sit at the staff table with Bill. Fred, George, Angelina and Wood sat with Harry and his friends. Katie came to sit with them too

"Potter, I just thought you might like to know Oliver's alive and I haven't been channelling his spirit" said Angelina.

"Read that did you?" said Harry without looking at her.

"Yeah" said Angelina "And Harry, I'm sorry about yelling at you and stuff last year"

"That's alright" said Harry shaking her hand.

"Are you playing today, ickle prefect?" asked Fred reaching across the table to ruffle Ron's hair.

"No" said Ron shortly.

"Thought you'd be a cert" said George "What happened?"

"Malfoy was singing that stupid song" Hermione answered for Ron.

Fred and George swore. Angelina scowled.

"If that little git's playing today, I swear I'm going to knock him off his broom"

"He's not" Katie assured her.

"So who's your Seeker?" asked Wood.

"Me" said Harry.

"You're allowed to play again?" said Fred.

"Just since last week" said Harry "McGonagall said no at first, because it would have taken up too much time writing the book"

"I suppose something had to be cut out of that last book" said George.

"Yes and by banning the three of you from playing Quidditch, Rowling gave the muggles more excuses to hate Umbridge" said Hermione.

"They had enough excuses. They didn't need another one" said Angelina "Anyway I heard that some people just skip over the Quidditch matches when they read the books"

"WHAT?" yelled Wood causing nearly every face in the hall to turn and look at him. He lowered his voice "they can't skip the Quidditch matches" he hissed.

"Well if they do there's not much you can do about it" said Hermione

"How come Flint's here?" asked Katie changing the subject.

"We needed a third Chaser and he was the only one to turn up" said Wood.

"But how do you know you can trust him?" asked Ron joining in the conversation again unexpectedly. "Don't you know Slytherin's produced more dark wizards than the other three houses put together?"

Hermione gave Ron a stern look just as George said "We don't like it any more than you do. But we told you we couldn't get anyone else"

"What about..." Katie started to say but Angelina cut her off.

"Couldn't get time off. Anyway Flint won't try anything with the whole school watching. Except he'll probably try to knock you off your brooms."

"I'm terrified" said Harry sarcastically "Being outnumbered twenty to one by Voldemort and a bunch of Death Eaters must be a walk in the park compared to some bloke trying to knock me off a broomstick. Let's go"

As he walked out of the Great Hall, Harry noticed that Cho Chang seemed to be making a big deal out of Roger Davies.

"Don't worry about her, Harry" said Hermione "You two were never going to be happy together"

Harry found that this news did not affect him in the least.

At ten minutes to two Harry and his team mates were changing into their Quidditch robes. Harry suddenly realised he was meant to give them a pep talk.

"Er you'll need to er watch out for Flint..."

"Which one's Flint?" asked Mitchell

"The big bloke" said Harry. He turned to his Beaters "If you two see him trying to foul one of our players, I want a Bludger sent his way. Got it?"

Kirby and Renton nodded.

"Just keep an eye on what everyone's doing" Harry continued "make sure you always know who has the Quaffle. And don't let the other team intimidate you. Just because they're older, it doesn't mean they're better. We've trained for this! We can win it! Let's go"

Forming a single line with Harry in front, they marched out of the changing rooms. The other team arrived about half a minute later. They were wearing red robes with a picture of a dragon on the back. Charlie reached out and shook Harry's hand.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle and they kicked off. Harry immediately flew higher than anyone looking for the Snitch. The game got off to a confusing start. Katie seized the Quaffle in the first few seconds and then passed it to Angelina out of habit.

"Sorry" she groaned. The Phoenix's got the Quaffle back when Angelina passed to Davies. Zacharias Smith intercepted and sped off in the opposite direction. A few seconds later, Fred had hit a Bludger towards him. Harry continued his search for the Snitch while dodging the other players. The Bludgers had avoided him so far. His concentration was broken by someone screaming. Harry wheeled around on his Firebolt. Flint had grabbed the back of Katie's robes and was trying to pull her off her broom. Down in the stands Harry could hear the Slytherins cheering. Katie had let go of her broom and was now trying to prise Flint's fingers from her robes. Madam Hooch blew her whistle.

"Flint, let her go" she ordered.

"Fine" said Flint suddenly releasing Katie's robes. She fell several feet before she managed to get hold of her broom again and return to playing height.

"Are you OK?" asked Angelina.

"I-I'm fine" said Katie shakily.

"What do you care, Johnson?" said Flint with an evil grin "You two aren't on the same team anymore. You should be asking me if I'm OK"

"What for? I don't really care about your well being, Flint" said Angelina just as Madam Hooch awarded the Phoenixes a penalty. Katie managed to get past Wood and score the first goal. Flint didn't try to foul anyone else and the game was very evenly matched. It was a matter of who got the Snitch first. After about twenty minutes it started to rain. Harry's glasses became clouded "TIME OUT!" he shouted signalling to his team mates. As soon as he landed Harry pulled out his wand and tapped his glasses "_impervius_"

His team mates landed around him. Harry showed them the impervius charm too.

"Just keep playing like we practiced" he said. They mounted their brooms again and Harry resumed his search for the Snitch. A tiny, gold flash sped past his left ear. Harry turned around and raced after it. Charlie was several feet below him. Then the Snitch hurtled downwards, but Harry was determined not to let it out of his sight. He dived after it. He thought he heard Charlie following him but he didn't turn around to have a look. The Snitch moved upwards again, so did Harry. He pulled his broom level and put on an extra burst of speed. Charlie was catching up. Harry extended his arm as far as it would reach and just managed to grip the tiny snitch between his thumb and index finger.

"I've got it!" he shouted as Madam Hooch blew her whistle. The players sped towards the ground. Harry's team mates converged on him. They spent several minutes clapping each other on the back and shaking hands. The to Harry's surprise Charlie came over with his team.

"Well done. You lot played a really good game"

"We should have known Harry was going to get the Snitch" said Fred "I mean he always does"

The Weasley boys, Wood and Angelina spent a few minutes fussing over Harry. Davies, who didn't know Harry as well just shook his hand and congratulated his team on their win. Flint hadn't even acknowledged that Harry's team had won. He stood away from everyone else watching them.

Dumbledore invited the former students to stay at Hogwarts for dinner and they accepted his invitation. Harry was both surprised and suspicious when Flint accepted.

"He's got as much right to be here as anyone else, Harry" said Hermione when he told her and Ron he didn't want Flint hanging around.

"I don't trust him" said Ron "come on let's go find Fred and George"

Fred and George were in the entrance hall selling Skiving Snackboxes.

"You lot want any?" asked George.

"No thanks, I've still got loads" said Harry.

"How about you, Katie?" asked Fred "Might get you out of your N.E.W.Ts long enough to look up an answer or two"

Katie, who had been talking to Angelina at the bottom of the staircase, looked over at Fred.

"Better not risk it"

Angelina and Katie were almost sent flying by Neville racing down the marble steps.

"Harry, I've just seen Flint going into the Forbidden Forest!"


	15. Walking Into a Trap

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

"Where are you going?" yelled Hermione as Harry ran down the stone steps and across the grounds.

"Flint's in the forest! If the centaurs see him he's done for!" said Harry

"So?" said Ron shrugging

"So? I have a saving people thing."

"Sorry mate, I forgot" said Ron.

"What's going on?" asked Fred who had just come outside closely followed by George, Angelina, Katie and Neville.

"Harry wants to go and rescue Flint" said Ron in a tone of voice that indictated that he thought Harry was mad.

"I think this is the part in the story where Harry walks into a trap" said Hermione.

"I'll find out soon enough" said Harry "See you soon, I hope"

"Wait, Harry!" shouted Neville "We'll come too. Won't we?"

The others nodded and they started to walk towards the forest.

"Hang on a second" called Katie "What do we do?"

"What do you mean 'what do we do?" asked Harry angrily.

"Well I don't know, do I?" said Katie defensively

"Katie's right, Harry. We need to plan this"

"Hermione!" yelled Ron losing his temper "Since when does anyone make plans when they walk into a trap?"

"Hermione does have a point, Ron" said Harry "Someone has to give me advice when I don't need it and..."

"I'd better do that" Hermione interrupted "Do any of you want to gibber stupidly and tremble at the idea of going into the forest?"

"I-I'm d-doing th-that" stammered Ron. "One of you four could turn out to be the real villain. You know to put a twist in the story"

"That's good, Ron" said Harry "So any takers?"

"It'd upset the muggles too much if me or Fred turned out evil" said George.

"Katie and I have had five years to try and kill, Harry. Don't you think we'd have done it by now?" said Angelina.

"Good point" said Harry "And Neville can't do it because that would upset the muggles too. Let's go"

They walked towards the forest with no idea of what would be waiting for them. After half an hour they had met no one. Harry was starting to feel unnerved.

"Harry Potter" said a deep sorrowful voice which made Harry jump.

"Hello, Ronan" said Harry as the centaur came into view.

"Harry Potter, you must go away from here" said Ronan "Bane will be along any moment now and he is very annoyed at the way that we centaurs were portrayed in the last book".

Harry hung back as the others ran off.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Bane says that the way JK Rowling has written about us we come across as indecisive and uninformed. Harry Potter, you must go quickly!""

"Thanks, Ronan" said Harry.

He ran after the others. After several feet he came to a fork in the path. He didn't know which path they had taken but he decided to try the right one and hope for the best. He had gone about fifty feet when he heard screaming. Harry turned around and ran in the opposite direction. He cursed under his breath. Bane and the other centaurs had probably heard the screaming too. Or had whoever it was who had screamed done it because the centaurs had already found them? Feeling slightly panicked, Harry sped up. He heard footsteps to his left and went to investigate. The trees were very thick here and his robes kept snagging on branches. He swore as he tripped on a root that had snaked it's way across the narrow path. He got to his feet and pushed his glasses back onto his nose. The sound of a twig snapping behind him made him jump. Then someone spoke his name.

"Harry!"

He turned around to face Angelina who was looking frantic. A deep cut on her right hand was bleeding freely.

"Angelina, are you OK. Where are the others?" asked Harry.

"We got separated. I'm fine. But Katie's hurt, she's back here. I'll show you"

"What happened to her?" asked Harry.

"She got her foot caught in something" said Angelina. "I don't know what but she's bleeding pretty badly. She's over here"

Katie was lying on the ground obviously in pain. A large amount of blood was pouring out of several puncture wounds just above her right ankle. She was shivering even though it was a warm day. Harry and Angelina knelt down next to her.

"Do you know what that is?" asked Angelina.

Harry gasped as he saw that the something Katie had her foot stuck in was a steel trap like those he had seen on hunting documentaries.

"Muggles use them to catch wild animals" Harry explained. "I bet I know who put that there"

Katie tried to sit up but fell backwards. Her breathing was very shallow.

"I thought this story was supposed to be funny" said Angelina taking off her robes and laying them over Katie "What's funny about this?"

The answer to her question came in the form of Hermione who arrived on the scene with Ron and Neville, and after hearing what had happened assured Katie that she would be alright in time for her N.E.W.Ts.

_Typical Hermione _thought Harry. Here was someone who needed to get help urgently and Hermione was thinking about exams.

"Hermione, I don't think Katie's worrying about exams right now" said Angelina "And don't you usually know some spell that helps in this sort of situation?"

But for once Hermione didn't know any spells that would be useful.

"Look at this" said Neville. "If we can break these springs I'll bet we can get that thing off Katie's leg.

"It's worth a try" said Harry aiming his wand at one of the springs "_diffindo_"

The spring broke. Neville pulled out his wand and performed the curse on the remaining spring.

"I reckon we could just pull this off now" said Angelina.

"I'll help you" said Harry "On three. One. Two. Three"

Katie winced as Harry and Angelina prised the trap off her leg. Blood gushed out where the spikes had been.

"She needs to go to the hospital wing" said Hermione pointing out the obvious. "Madam Pomfrey will know what to do"

"I'll take her" said Angelina wiping her hands on her t shirt. "Katie, can you get up?"

"I think so" said Katie weakly.

Katie managed to stand up but she couldn't put any weight on her injured foot. Angelina crouched down several inches and pulled Katie's right arm across her shoulders.

"Do you need a hand?" asked Ron hopefully

"I'm alright, Ron" said Angelina "Harry will probably need your help later anyway"

Ron nodded making an odd gulping noise as he did so.

"Angelina, listen, take Katie to the hospital wing. Then go and find Dumbledore" said Harry "Chances are you'll meet him in a corridor and he'll already know what's going on"

Angelina nodded and helped Katie limp towards the castle.

"Any sign of Flint?" asked Harry as he, Ron, Hermione and Neville walked off in the opposite direction.

"No and we lost Fred and George too" said Ron.

"Well don't call out for them" said Hermione.

"Maybe we should go back" said Ron. "I mean Flint could have apparated from here couldn't he?"

"I don't know" said Hermione "Rowling's never said if you can or not"

"I hear something!" shouted Neville "Through those trees"

Without stopping to think, Neville plunged his way through a particularly dense group of trees making a lot of noise as he did so. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed. After a few minutes they found themselves in a clearing. Marcus Flint was standing in the middle of it looking quite shaken.

"Flint, are you alright?" asked Harry.

Flint's expression changed.

"I'm alright, Potter. It's too bad I can't say the same about you"


	16. The Flying Car

Behind him Harry heard a sharp intake of breath and a small scream from Hermione. He looked around. They were surrounded by Death Eaters. The one nearest to Harry spoke. He recognised Lucius Malfoy's voice at once.

"You have done well, Flint. The Dark Lord will be pleased"

"What do we do know?" asked Ron.

"According to a popular rumour we are supposed to harm the mudblood..." began Malfoy

"And according to another popular rumour my cat is really Harry's mother" said Hermione "so I wouldn't believe everything I read"

She was speaking in a casual tone which enraged the death eaters.

"You do not fear us, mudblood?" asked Malfoy threateningly.

"Don't call her that!" said Ron angrily.

"Not really" said Hermione in the same casual tone. "I know what's going to happen. You'll talk a bit. Then we'll start using wands during which time most of our spells will miss each other. Then when it looks like Harry's completely done for, Professor Dumbledore will turn up and save the day"

"You appear to be quite confident in thinking Dumbledore will turn up" said Malfoy. "I suppose Potter has already sent someone to go and get him"

"No!" said Hermione far too quickly.

"You are lying" said a female voice which Harry recognised as Bellatrix Lestrange's. She turned to her fellow Death Eaters. "Potter has sent someone to fetch Dumbledore. Go and find whoever it is and stop them. Kill them if you have to. Chances are it's a minor character who will not be missed anyway"

Half a dozen death eaters raised their wands and ran out of the clearing. Harry was certain that Angelina and Katie wouldn't have made it back to the castle yet. Harry's thoughts were interrupted by Neville's voice.

"_Stupefy!_" The spell went over the Death Eaters heads. Without thinking Harry ran after them. He could hear voices behind him. But he didn't pay attention to who was speaking or what they were saying.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" he shouted aiming his wand at another death eater, but his spell missed. Before Harry could try the spell again the death eater had turned and shouted "Expelliarmus!" Harry's wand flew out of his hand. He couldn't see where it landed. The other death eaters had their wands raised too. Harry jumped behind a large tree trying to dodge their spells. He ran not daring to look behind him. As he ran he came across the unconscious forms of Ron, Hermione and Neville. Harry had never been in a worse situation. He was surrounded by Death Eaters with no wand and no friends to help him. He looked around for some sign that Dumbledore was coming.

"It appears that Dumbledore won't be arriving to save your neck after all, Potter" said Malfoy as a cold laugh echoed around the clearing. Harry knew that Malfoy was right. What happened next confirmed that. Harry heard footsteps in the trees behind him and several twigs and branches snapping. It sounded like something or someone was being dragged along the ground. Two of the Death Eaters that had ran off earlier returned dragging Angelina and Katie.

"Got 'em" said the Death Eater holding Katie. He threw her roughly towards Harry where she didn't move. Angelina was struggling to free herself from the other Death Eater who had a massive arm locked around her neck. Harry guessed that he must be Crabbe or Goyle's father. He was holding a wand away from his body in his other hand.

"Harry, I'm sorry!" wailed Angelina tugging on the Death Eater's arm. "I couldn't do anything. They just..."

"Crabbe, shut her up!" ordered Malfoy.

Crabbe dropped the wand he was holding and clamped a large hand over Angelina's mouth.

"You're in trouble now, Potter" said the death eater who had disarmed Harry. "There's not much you can do without your wand is there?"

"Potter doesn't have his wand?" said Malfoy.

"I disarmed him" said the Death Eater.

Angelina said something that was completely muffled by Crabbe's hand still covering her mouth and kicked her wand towards Harry. It landed ten feet away from him.

"Try anything and your friends die, Potter" said Malfoy coldly as Harry started to move to pick up Angelina's wand. "Starting with those two (he pointed a long finger at Ron and Hermione) their deaths will upset the muggles greatly. Especially as so many of them believe your best friends have a relationship in store. And I doubt they want to see Longbottom dead either, not after he has become quite the hero. Why I have reason to believe that several people think it is Longbottom who will be the one to destroy the Dark Lord"

Harry gasped.

"You-you know" he stammered. "But how?"

Muggles have a rather unfortunate habit of analysing these books to death" said Potter. "It was incredibly easy to find the contents of the prophecy you stopped us from taking last year and to find several muggles' interpretation of what it all means. But there is one important thing we could not find out. We could only find theories which are no use to us in this particular case." Malfoy was tapping his chin which gave Harry an idea.

"What's that?" asked Harry "This thing you couldn't find out?"

"Who is the Half Blood Prince?" asked Malfoy. "I know it is not you or the dark lord. Is it perhaps your friend Finnigan? Or that oaf Hagrid? No it's not him. Perhaps that other boy, Thomas? Why I've even come across rumours that it's Draco. My son a half blood? Don't these muggles pay attention to the details?"

Harry certainly wasn't paying attention to Malfoy. Instead he was trying to signal Angelina without any of the death eaters realising what he was doing. He casually bit his fingernails on one hand trying to look as if this was a habit he had had for years.

"Potter!" said Malfoy angrily "Who is the Half Blood Prince?"

"I don't know" lied Harry still chewing on his nails. He winked at Angelina. She winked back at him.

"I know you're lying, Potter" said Malfoy "Now who is it?"

Harry didn't answer. He wasn't about to put a first year in danger.

"Who is it, Potter?" asked Bellatrix in her most dangerous voice. "Tell us! Imper..."

"He can fight that, Bella. Haven't you read the books?" said Malfoy

"You don't get the chance to read very much in Azkaban, Lucius" retorted Bellatrix. "But perhaps I can convince Potter to tell us what we want to know."

Even though Bellatrix's face was covered by her mask, Harry could make out an evil smile as she raised her wand "serpensortia!" she shouted. A large snake shot out of the end of her wand and shot towards Harry, ready to strike.

"Go away" yelled Harry. The snake turned and slithered between two thick tree trunks.

"Potter's a parselmouth?" said Bellatrix in surprise.

"Yes which you would know if you'd bothered to read the books" snapped Malfoy. "I told you to..."

Malfoy was interrupted by a several things all happening at once. Angelina bit Crabbe's hand causing him to yell in pain. As he moved to pull his wand out of her pocket, she wriggled out of his grip and retrieved her own wand from the ground. Neville leapt to his feet and hit Bellatrix with the impediment jinx. Ron and Hermione were awake too and firing spells at the death eaters. Jets of light were flying everywhere. Harry ducked and weaved trying to dodge them.

"Harry, what are you doing?" asked Hermione as he knocked her sideways trying to avoid the full body bind.

"I don't have my wand" he said ducking to avoid another spell.

"Use Katie's then" snapped Hermione.

Harry quickly rolled towards the spot where Katie was lying and grabbed her wand. He leapt to his feet and sent a stunning spell at the death eater closest to him. Then a loud honking noise from above made them jump.

"What the?" said Ron looking up "LOOK! IT'S OUR CAR!"

Harry looked up too. Sure enough the Weasley's old ford anglia was circling overhead flying lower and lower. Fred and George were grinning triumphantly in the front seats.

"I should have known!" said Hermione "I remember reading that the Weasley's car would turn up again!"

Lucius Malfoy gave the order for the Death Eaters to get out of the forest.

"Leave him!" he ordered as someone reached for the Death Eater Harry had stunned. George landed the car in the middle of the clearing and the doors flew open.

"Get in!" he shouted.

Ron and Angelina carried Katie to the car and put her in the back seat. Hermione and Neville climbed in after them.

"Come on, Harry!" yelled Fred.

"I can't. I've lost my wand"

"You can always get a new one, mate" said Ron.

"No he can't" said Hermione "JK Rowling gave Harry that wand for a reason!"

"Alright then" said Fred stepping out of the car. "We'll find it. Where did you lose it, Harry?"

"Over there" said Harry pointing.

"Well come on then" said Fred running out of the clearing.

"Wait a second" said Harry looking down at the death eater he had stunned. "I reckon we should take him along too"

Fred nodded. He and Harry dragged the death eater to the car and threw him into the back seat next to Ron. Harry reached into the Death Eaters robes and took his wand. Then Fred and Harry ran down the path where Harry had lost his wand.

"It was about here" said Harry stopping suddenly and looking around. Fred pulled out his own wand.

"_Accio wand!" _something came zooming into his hand.

"That's it" said Harry. Fred threw him his wand and he caught it. They ran back to the others and jumped into the of the car. George took off at once.

"I wonder who the death eater we got is" thought Harry out loud as they flew over the treetops. He reached out and pulled off the Death Eaters hood. He recognised the pale watery eyes and thin colourless hair at once. Harry and Ron edged away from Wormtail in disgust.

"Almost there" said George loudly as they flew over the smooth lawns. The car landed with a slight bump. Harry got out of the car to find professors Dumbledore and McGonagall and Bill and Charlie waiting on the front steps.

"Ah that time of year again" said Dumbledore looking at Harry "How quickly it seems to fly"

Harry pulled Wormtail out of the car by the neck of his robes. Then Ron and Angelina helped Katie out of the car. Hermione and Neville had already got out on the other side. Fred and George were going to try to take the car back to their father.

"Don't try to fly all the way!" yelled Ron as the twins took off.

"What happened to Miss Bell?" asked professor McGonagall in a shocked voice.

"She got her foot caught in some muggle thing" said Angelina

Dumbledore conjured a stretcher out of thin air and asked Bill and Charlie to take Katie to the hospital wing.

"Perhaps you four had better go along and see Madam Pomfrey too" said Professor McGonagall looking at Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville.

"But I don't need..." began Harry. Professor McGonagall gave him a stern look.

"Hospital wing, Potter" she ordered.

"I'll come too" said Angelina.

As they crossed the entrance hall they met Adam Prince.

"Harry! You were brilliant today"

"Thanks, Adam" said Harry "Oh Adam this is Angelina. Angelina, this is Adam. He's the Half Blood Prince"

Adam went to shake Angelina's hand and saw that it was covered in blood.

"We just had the bit where someone tries to kill me" Harry explained seeing Adam's confused expression.

"But I thought that was after your exams"

"It usually is. But I think Rowling likes to make sure I'm not really prepared for it" said Harry.

"I wasn't expecting the Half Blood Prince to be a kid" said Angelina.

"Neither was I" said Adam and they all laughed.

"I bet Malfoy wouldn't have believed you if you'd told him that, Harry" said Angelina. "I wonder why he was asking"

"He's probably just too lazy to read this and find out for himself" said Ron. "He doesn't have Dobby to do that sort of thing for him anymore"

"I was reading about Dobby" said Adam "and I was wondering, if house elves are so powerful, what's to stop them using their magic? Even if they don't have their owner's permission?"

Hermione cleared her throat.

"Unfortunately most house elves are completely uneducated and they believe that their sole purpose is to..."

"I should have known I'd get a lecture if I mentioned house elves around her" interrupted Adam. "I'll see you later, Harry"

They reached the hospital wing. Harry led the way over to Madam Pomfrey

"Er Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall sent us to come and see you" he said.

"I see you've had your annual brush with death, Potter" said Madam Pomfrey sounding half disaproving, half relieved. "I'll be with you in a minute. I'm just fixing up Miss Bell"

Katie was lying on a bed still unconscious. Madam Pomfrey dabbed at the wound on her leg with some purple liquid before healing it with her wand.

"She'll have to stay in here overnight" said Madam Pomfrey "And don't worry about N.E.W.Ts, Miss Granger" she added as Hermione opened her mouth.

"Will she be alright?" asked Angelina.

"Of course she will" said Madam Pomfrey.

"Can I stay with her for a while?"

"Yes of course. I'll fix that cut of yours while you're here"

Madam Pomfrey pulled out her wand and magically healed Angelina's cut. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville were unhurt apart from a few scratches. When Madam Pomfrey had finished healing them the door of the hospital wing opened and Snape walked in.

"The headmaster has asked to see you three right away" he said pointing at Harry, Ron and Hermione "And Miss Granger, he has requested that you bring your cat"


	17. Wormtail's Confession

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

After Hermione had fetched Crookshanks from her dormitory, she, Ron and Harry, followed Snape to Professor Dumbledore's office. A large group of people including Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, Madam Bones, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bill, Charlie, Wormtail and some others Harry didn't know were already there.

"Don't let that monster near me!" shrieked Wormtail as Crookshanks arched his back and hissed. "It's not my fault! I thought I was just a normal rat. I didn't know I was er well me. Rowling caught me by surprise"

"The potion please, Severus" said Dumbledore

Snape stepped forwards and handed Dumbledore a bottle of Veritaserum. Dumbledore tipped three drops down Wormtail's throat.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Peter Pettigrew" replied Wormtail.

"Are you also known by the name Wormtail?" asked Dumbledore

"Yes"

"Why"

"It started when I became an Animagus…" began Wormtail.

"For how long have you been an Animagus?" asked a woman.

"Since chapter 17 of the third book" said Wormtail.

"No I meant in your life, not in the books"

"Surely anyone who has read these books knows that" said Professor McGonagall crossly.

"Yes, yes of course, Minerva" said Dumbledore a little absently. "I trust that you are all familiar with Mr Pettigrew's background?"

There was a general murmur of assent.

"Are there any further questions for Mr Pettigrew?" asked Dumbledore.

No one had any questions so Dumbledore continued to speak. "Well if that is the case I think we can safely proceed to…"

"One moment, Headmaster" interrupted Snape. "Perhaps there ought to be a bit more to this part of the story. Especially when you consider that this chapter is titled "Wormtail's Confession"

"Yes of course, Severus?" said Dumbledore.

Harry listened as Dumbledore, Madam Bones and Kingsley questioned Wormtail about becoming a spy for Voldemort. When Wormtail spoke about telling Voldemort where the Potters were hiding, Harry's fingers closed around his wand. Not for the first time in his life, Harry wished that he could perform the Cruciatus curse, or better still Avada Kedavra. He remembered what Wormtail's fellow Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange, had told him about the Unforgiveable curses. You have to really mean them. Well he meant it. What would happen if he pulled out his wand and said the words? Harry was seriously considering this when Madam Bones gave the order for Wormtail to be taken to the ministry.

"Do you realise what this means, Harry?" asked Dumbledore after Wormtail had been led away.

"It proves Sirius is – was innocent" said Harry.

"Yes I am sorry that it had to happen after his death" said Dumbledore "But in time you will see that Ms Rowling had her reasons behind it. You may go, Harry"

Harry, Ron and Hermione went down to the Great Hall discussing how far Fred and George had managed to fly their father's old car. When they reached the entrance hall, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were walking across it.

"I hear you've done your hero thing again this year, Potter" drawled Malfoy. "You won't always be so lucky. The Dark Lord will finish you off one day"

As Malfoy walked off Harry was tempted to aim a curse at the back of his head. He reached into his pocket for his wand but Malfoy had already disappeared through the door that led to the dungeons.

"This isn't mine" said Harry looking at the wand in his hand. "Must be Katie's. I'd better go and give it back"

Harry turned to go upstairs when a voice called out

"Potter"

"Shove off" snarled Harry he turned around and found himself face to face not with Malfoy, but with Theodore Nott. Harry started to apologise then he remembered that Nott's father was a Death Eater too. Instead he said, rather aggressively "What do you want?"

"Was my father there, in the forest?" asked Nott.

This was not what Harry had been expecting.

"I don't know" he said truthfully.

"Well I just wanted to know" said Nott starting to walk away.

"Wait a minute" called Harry "Why ask me. Why not Malfoy?"

"You were there he wasn't" said Nott reasonably. "And he'd probably just boast about how his father is a more devoted follower of He Who Must Not Be Named than mine"

Two things struck Harry about this statement. The first was that Nott had just admitted that his father was a Death Eater. The second was that Nott had referred to Voldemort as "He Who Must Not Be Named" not "The Dark Lord".

"How come you don't call Voldemort the Dark Lord?" asked Harry "It's what his Death Eaters call him"

"I'm not a Death Eater" said Nott firmly "I'm not my father"

Nott walked off in the direction of the Slytherin common room.

"What was that about?" asked Ron.

"That was just thrown in to create confusion" said Hermione.

Harry was certainly confused. Nott had just said he was not a Death Eater. Did that mean he was not a Death Eater yet? Or that he would never be one?

"Harry" said Hermione

"What?" he asked distractedly.

"Weren't you going to give Katie her wand?"

"Oh yeah" said Harry.

Harry, Ron and Hermione went up to the hospital wing. Harry was pleased to see that Katie was awake. She and Angelina were talking about Quidditch.

"How are you feeling, Katie?" asked Harry handing over her wand.

"Fine. But I'm bored. I don't know why Madam Pomfrey's making me stay here" said Katie.

"She might get a bit more time in the book" said Hermione "What about you, Angelina?"

"I'm fine" said Angelina "But I think I liked it better just being in the books for Quidditch or if Rowling needed a random person to say something. I don't think I'll be in the next one"

"I wouldn't bet on it" said Hermione.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Angelina suspiciously.

"Don't you know that heaps of Muggles are saying you and Fred will be going out by the end of the last book?" said Hermione.

"No. Why?"

"Well because you two went to the Yule Ball" said Hermione "And Fred threw his beaters club at Flint that time he tried to knock you off your broom"

"So what?" said Angelina "George elbowed Bole in the face when he hit Alicia. No one's saying that those two will end up together are they?"

"Actually they are" said Hermione. "Quite a few people have noticed that Fred and George retaliated when you and Alicia were attacked, but they didn't do anything when Montague attacked Katie"

"Malfoy's right" said Angelina shaking her head "Muggles are analysing the books too much"

There was a slight pause then Ron's stomach rumbled loudly, then Madam Pomfrey came over to insist that Katie needed to rest.

"I'm starving" said Ron leading the way downstairs to the Great Hall. As they reached the hall, Bill, Charlie, Ginny, Wood and Roger Davies were walking out of it.

"There you are, Ron" said Ginny "Charlie's about to go home. We're going to walk down to the gates with him"

"We'll come too" said Ron speaking for Harry and Hermione as well as himself.

Angelina decided to go home as well. They walked across the grounds discussing the match.

"I told you you'd turn out better than Charlie Weasley, didn't I, Harry" said Wood "So what's this about you wanting to be an Auror?"

Wood didn't give Harry a chance to answer. "Rowling's out of her mind" he said walking through the front gates.


	18. Ron's Rage

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

After the episode with the Death Eaters in the Forbidden Forest, Hermione thought that she, Harry and Ron had more important things to worry about such as their exams which were starting the next day.

"You're joking" complained Ron. "We almost get killed and now we have to do exams. That's completely unfair. What does that Rowling woman think she's doing?"

Harry was not looking forward to the exams either because they meant that the end of term was approaching and he would soon have to return to Privet Drive.

Both Harry and Ron agreed that the only good thing about their exams was that they had Potions first which meant they got the worst of it over with fairly quickly. Unfortunately Snape was in a particularly bad mood.

"I bet he's going to miss out on the Defence Against the Dark Arts job again" whispered Ron.

"Probably" agreed Harry "I hope Bill stays though"

"Potter, Weasley, twenty points from Gryffindor" said Snape silkily. The written exam was very long and difficult but the practical was much worse. At the beginning of the exam Seamus Finnigan put Snape in an even worse mood by asking if everyone would be taking Potions in their seventh year.

"Not if I have anything to do with it, Finnigan" said Snape "But as I do not, you will just have to wait and find out for yourself. Ten points from Gryffindor for wasting my time"

The Slytherins looked positively gleeful at this last statement.

Harry tried to ignore Snape breathing down his neck as he worked on his potion. Judging from the look of disappointment that Snape gave him it was worth a fairly good mark.

"I'm glad that's over" said Ron when they left Snape's dungeon an hour later. But they still had more exams to go. And while none of them were as unpleasant as Potions, they were all rather difficult. The only exam that Harry felt confident about was Defence Against the Dark Arts. Bill led the class to a corridor lined with tapestries and suits of armour and told them that they would simply have to walk from one end of the corridor to the other.

"There are obstacles along the way" he said "the further you get the higher your marks. Now if you will all follow me we can begin shortly.

Bill led them to an empty classroom on the floor below. Harry guessed that they must have to wait here to be called. Bill made some notes on a piece of parchment and stood up.

"Lavender, when you are ready you may begin"

Lavender left the classroom looking rather apprehensive. The rest of the class tried to hear what was happening but Harry didn't hear anything it seemed that no one else had either. However, when Parvati was having her turn, Harry heard the unmistakable cry of "PEEVES!" A few minutes later Bill stuck his head in the door and called Harry's name.

"Good luck, mate" whispered Ron as stood up.

"Thanks" said Harry.

"Don't worry, Harry" said Bill as they walked up the stairs. "Peeves isn't part of the exam"

Harry chuckled even though he was apprehensive about what was in store for him.

"There's nothing to worry about, Harry" said Bill. "You can go when you're ready"

Harry pulled out his wand and set off down the corridor at a fairly quick pace. When he reached the first suit of armour a green substance shot out of it blocking his path like a giant spider's web. Harry had no idea what it was. His options were either turn around and fail the exam or try to run through it. But Harry knew that running through an unfamiliar substance was not a good idea.

"_I need to get rid of it if I want to keep going_" he thought. Then he smiled to himself and shouted "_Evanesco_!"

The web like obstruction vanished immediately and Harry kept going. At the first tapestry a masked figure jumped out in front of him and yelled "_Stupefy_". Harry ducked just in time and sent the figure hurtling down the corridor with an impediment jinx. Several more things came shooting out of the suits of armour as Harry passed them and more figures in masks leapt out from behind the tapestries. Harry performed the first spell that came into his head each time and didn't stop to look behind him. After he put the full body bind on the person who had been waiting behind the last tapestry he ran to the end of the corridor.

"Excellent, Harry!" called Bill.

Harry turned around Bill was walking along the corridor performing counter curses on all the people Harry had jinxed. One of them had taken off his mask to reveal a hooked nose and thick eyebrows.

"Viktor?" said Harry walking towards him. Other figures had taken off their masks too. Harry recognised Charlie Weasley and Fleur Delacour but there were a few others whom he hadn't seen before.

"How are you, Harry?" asked Krum.

"Fine" said Harry "What are you doing here?"

"I came for a holiday" said Krum "I met your teacher in the village ven he vos looking for people to help him vith his exam. And your headmaster said ve could come back at any time so I decided to come"

"You were ze best yet, 'Arry" said Fleur.

"Thanks" said Harry.

After chatting with Bill, Charlie, Fleur and Krum for a few minutes Harry joined Hermione outside.

"I wish I could see Ron's face when he sees that Viktor's here" she said.

Harry laughed as he imagined Ron coming face to face with Krum. Sure enough Ron was in an extremely bad mood when he came outside.

"What's wrong, Ron?" asked Hermione innocently.

Ron was almost too angry to speak.

"He…that…what's…Krum's here" he growled.

"Yes we know" said Hermione casually.

"Well at least he'll be gone by now" said Ron.

But Ron was wrong. Krum had decided to stay at Hogwarts for dinner. He was even more annoyed when Krum chose a seat at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione. Ron stood up suddenly, knocking a first year over in the process and stomped off to sit next to the Creevey brothers. Harry, on the other hand had a rather enjoyable time chatting with Hermione and Krum. Hermione looked like she was enjoying herself too, although she did appear to be bored when the conversation turned to Quidditch. Krum appeared to have noticed this too and changed the subject.

"Is your friend alright?" heasked.

"Ron? He's fine" said Hermione "he just wants to know what happened between us the summer before last"

"Vy don't ve go for a valk around the grounds and explain everything to him" suggested Krum.

It took a few minutes to convince Ron to join them and he did so quite grudgingly.

"What's going on with you two then?" he shot at Hermione and Krum the second they had walked into the grounds.

"Nothing" said Hermione.

"Nothing" repeated Ron in a disbelieving tone.

"Ve are good friends. That is all" said Krum.

"Are you still writing to each other?" asked Ron.

"Yes ve write to each other often" said Krum "But ve haff never – how do you say? Gone in together"

"Gone out" Ron corrected Krum and a look of relief came over his face. He was much friendlier towards Krum after that.

"You knew he was coming back, didn't you?" Ron said to Hermione after Krum had left.

"Well yes I did" Hermione admitted "I read it in one of JK Rowling's interviews.

"Would it have killed you to tell us about it?" asked Ron.

Hermione smiled.

"No, but If I'd told you the story wouldn't be nearly as interesting"


	19. Dudley's Disappointment

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

As usual the end of term came far too quickly for Harry's liking.

"Cheer up, mate" said Ron. "You can come to my place for the summer. And once we've got our Apparition test you'll be able to leave the muggles whenever you want. Hey we should go and take the test together!"

Harry had forgotten about taking his Apparition test when he turned seventeen, but now that Ron had reminded him he thought it could be a good way to have some fun with Dudley. Feeling slightly better about the holidays, Harry went downstairs for the end of year feast with Ron and Hermione. When they entered the Great Hall Draco Malfoy was boasting, in a much louder voice than was necessary, about all the power and influence he would soon have. As far as Harry could tell, no one was listening to Malfoy except for Crabbe and Goyle. Some of the younger Slytherins looked like they were annoyed with Malfoy, but were probably too afraid of him to actually say anything. Most of the older students looked bored as if this was something they had all heard several times before.

"Shut up, Malfoy, no one's listening to you" he shouted.

In a flash Malfoy was standing over Nott with Crabbe and Goyle close behind him.

"What did you say to me, Nott?"

"I said shut up" said Nott. "The only people you're ever going to have any influence over are those two morons" Nott pointed at Crabbe and Goyle who were cracking their knuckles threateningly.

"He's got a point there" Ron whispered to Harry and Hermione

"You can't speak to me like that, Nott" hissed Malfoy.

"I just did" said Nott. "What are you going to do about it? Go and tell your dad?"

"He'll hear about this" said Malfoy.

Harry wanted to hear more, but Hermione started to drag him away. At the Hufflepuff table Adam Prince sprinted up to Harry.

"Harry, how many books are going to be written about you?" he panted.

"I dunno" said Harry.

"Seven" said Hermione "Why?"

"That means you've only got one more book to kill You Know Who" said Adam frantically "Or for him to kill you. What if you don't do it?"

"Well since we're all fictional characters we'll probably just cease to exist" said Hermione sensibly. "Or JK Rowling might change her mind and write another book"

"That's exactly what I need" said Harry sarcastically. "Come on the feast is about to start"

Harry sat down between Lavender and Neville. Ron and Hermione sat opposite them. Harry looked around the hall thinking. Would everything around them simply stop existing if the terms of the prophecy were not fulfilled in one book?

"Ouch!" cried Neville bringing Harry out of his reverie.

"What's the matter?" asked Lavender.

"Someone's kicked me under the table" said Neville.

"Sorry, Neville, that was me" said Hermione "I didn't mean it. I was trying to get Harry"

"Thanks, Hermione" said Harry sarcastically.

Hermione pointed to the staff table to where Dumbledore had gotten to his feet.

"I have a few notices to give out before we begin our feast" he said "Firstly, our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Weasley, has announced that he will be returning to Egypt next year to continue his work for Gringotts Bank"

Hissing broke out among the students. Harry's fellow Gryffindors were all trying to get Ron and Ginny's attention.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Seamus.

"I didn't know" said Ron "I wonder why Bill's decided to leave though"

"I bet it's because the job's cursed and he's afraid something bad will happen to him" whispered Lavender.

"I think Bill's too sensible to believe that rubbish" said Hermione drily. "I'm sure he's just going back to his old job because he misses Egypt and to continue the tradition of Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers only staying for one year."

Harry looked around at the other house tables. The Slytherins looked to be the only one's who were not disappointed about Bill leaving. At the staff table Snape looked positively delighted.

After the hissing had died down, Dumbledore spoke again.

The journey to Kings Cross the next day was uneventful although several people stopped by the compartment that Harry was sharing with Ron, Hermione and Neville. Harry had his wand out in case Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were lurking nearby. But all Harry saw of them was a brief glimpse of Crabbe's back as he walked through the barrier on platform nine and three quarters. Five minutes later Harry, Hermione and Neville stepped through the barrier. Neville's grandmother was waiting for him, but Harry couldn't see Hermione's parents or the Dursley's. He secretly hoped they wouldn't turn up. Ron and Ginny appeared on the platform behind Harry just as Mrs Longbottom was saying hello to Harry and Hermione.

"There's mum and dad" said Ginny. "And Fred and George are here too"

The twins reached the group first. Fred shook hands with Ron while George hugged Ginny.

"Hello, Harry. How are you, dear?" asked Mrs Weasley hugging him.

"Fine" said Harry.

"You will come and stay won't you" said Mrs Weasley as she let go of him.

"Yes please" said Harry.

"Hey, Harry" said Ron after Neville and his grandmother had left "it's the muggles"

Sure enough Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were coming into the station followed by Dudley who looked just as disappointed as Harry felt.

"What's up with you, Dud?"

"You're still here. I'd heard a rumour that you died in this book" snapped Dudley.

"There's always next year, son" said Uncle Vernon "But I must say you're here a bit earlier than normal, boy. We weren't expecting you home for a few more chapters. What's going on?"

Harry opened his mouth to say he wished he could have stayed at Hogwarts, but thought better of it.

"I think I can answer that, Mr Dursley" said Hermione nervously. "The person writing this probably wants to finish it before the real sixth Harry Potter book comes out in the shops"

"What do you mean the real book?" asked Ron.

"JK Rowling's not writing this, Ron" said Hermione as it if were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well who is then?" asked Ron.

"It's a fanfic" Hermione explained patiently.

"And what's that?" said Ron.

"It's short for fan fiction" said Hermione "It's a story based on another persons work"

"So Krum might not be back" said Ron hopefully.

"No we'll still see him again" said Hermione and Ron looked sullen.

"Hey, Harry, Piers wrote a story where you die" said Dudley suddenly.

"Right" mumbled Harry.

Uncle Vernon looked outraged at the idea of people not only reading stories about Harry, but writing their own as well.

"Hurry up, I'm not waiting around here all night" he barked.

"See you soon, Harry" said Ron.

"Bye Harry" said Hermione.

"See you" said Harry and wondering what was really in store for him, he followed the Dursleys out of the station.

THE END

_Author's notes._

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed._

_Harry doesn't know about the interviews because he's never used the internet. It's mostly Hermione that knows about that sort of thing._

_I don't think the real Half Blood Prince will be a student and his last name probably wont be Prince either, but that was how he fit __into my story._

_I didn't call this Harry Potter and the Really Short Book because it's much longer than I originally intended it to be. I started writing it for a joke and I was only going to write five chapters._

_There are people who skip the Quidditch matches. I know one of them._


End file.
